One Timeless Chance
by VTM Potter Crazy
Summary: It's a long shot, a suicide mission, something she's not even sure she can do...But she has to try. To save everyone she loves, she must learn to use a kind of magic she hates, from the one she hates most of all. HG/TR A twist on a timeless tale.
1. Last Chance

**Hello Lovely Readers!**

**You know, it's probably suicide for me to try and write three stories at once, but there's a very high chance that this one won't have a sequel like my other two, so I think I may be able to cope. I hope this story will meet your standards and don't forget to let me know if it does or doesn't! Reviews are essential people! Just remember that.**

**Disclaimer: The wonderful J.K owns everything I could ever possibly want, including most of the characters in this story. I bow my head to her wonderful, magical mind.**

* * *

Chapter one: Last Chance

Buzzing. That was all she heard as she listened to the Order bicker over and over and over again. Like static on the T.V, a constant buzz of the same arguments, the same negotiations and the same result...nothing. She may only have been seventeen years of age, but even she could tell that they were getting nowhere and getting nowhere fast. Ever since Harry had been ambushed at Privet drive almost a week ago, there were no plans of action, there were no secret weapons. Effectively, they had all given up. Hermione felt like she had aged several years in only a matter of hours as she tried desperately to get them organized and under control. She knew what was best at the time, yet no one wanted to listen to the musings and knowledge of a silly little girl. Even if she was the best friend of Harry Potter. Then again, that was partly the reason, why they didn't want to listen to her. She was Harry's best friend, the one that knew what he had been up to, and yet failed to stop him from dying in a blazing battle of glory. They had lost faith in her abilities, in her knowledge, in her skills, the moment Harry's body came to rest on their door step.

"We need to attack!" Moody smashed his hand on the table violently, "We need to strike back before he thinks he's gotten to us!"

"And what good will that do?" Arthur argued, "Lets face it, he _has_ gotten to us! Taken our only hope away..."

The buzzing grew louder and louder as she tried to tune them out and come up with a plan. She knew the horcruxes were still out there, she knew they had to get to them before Voldemort knew that they knew, well...that she, Ron and Ginny knew. She hadn't been able to get a word in about Voldemort the entire time since Harry had gone, and Ron and Ginny were always too aggrieved to say anything at meetings anyway. Hermione herself hadn't found time to shed tears for her fallen brother. The grief was there, ready to overflow and spill and reek havoc upon all those around her. In truth, the entire Order had been waiting for her to explode and lash out at them for the past three days, but she didn't even make a sound.

She distantly registered a hand on the small of her back. She looked up to see Draco smirking down at her. They were on the brink of destruction, and he still found the audacity to smirk? He really hadn't changed. After he had failed to kill Dumbledore the year before, he had run to the Order, with Snape's help of course and hadn't turned back ever since. He was still the same sarcastic bastard of a Malfoy, but he had tamed and showed that he wasn't as they all thought he was. He had been a small comfort to her in the past few days, staying up with her as she drank a customary bottle of firewhiskey every night to get to sleep, and then take her up to bed, completely devoid of memory in the morning of having acquired such humility.

"What we really need to do is calm down," Molly told them all quietly.

"I will calm down when justice has been served!" Remus screamed.

He was by far grieving the most, staying up night and day, trying to find a solution to his ever daunting sorrow. While Hermione drank herself to sleep, she could hear him cursing and hexing desks in a nearby classroom each night, taking his anger and resentment out on anything and everything he could get his hands on. But he too, ignored her, and so she didn't lift a finger to make him feel any better. Why should she? If he was not willing to hear the truth, why should she bother to try and enlighten him? Give him the solution he so desperately sought? She shook her head. She knew it was wrong to keep such information from them, to let them suffer the way they did, wallowing in their grief, not for a boy they loved, but for an _idea_ they loved even more than the boy behind it. The idea of a saviour, a solution, a one way ticket to a false paradise. They had all been under the influence of Dumbledore's sugar quills for far too long.

Draco sat down beside her as the rest continued to argue in the headmistress' office, Minerva McGonagall having given up on trying to control them over an hour ago.

"Do you think they'll ever notice you have something to offer?" He asked her quietly bellow the noise.

"Do you think they'll ever stop arguing?" She asked back, a headache beginning to form.

He smirked down at her.

"We're as good as dead then," he told her.

Despite the morbidness of the situation, she smirked back.

"I know," she whispered.

Silently, they slipped out of the office and walked the halls, leaving the meeting, knowing that nothing would ever be decided. It was odd how she had become so familiar with Malfoy, how he seemed to know what she needed before even she did, yet it was no surprise. He knew all about grief, having lost his mother only half a year back, and it only made sense that he would help he through this now, yet she still found it odd that she didn't flinch away from him when he placed a hand on her shoulder, just to let her know that he was behind her, or an arm around her waist, to save her from the hormonal students running about the castle. He used to ridicule her, he used to tease her mercilessly, and yet now he was holding her as she passed out in a drunken stupor at night, choosing not to say anything about it in the morning.

"Should we go and get something to eat?" He asked her, "You haven't eaten all day."

And again, he knew what was coming that night, so it was more of an order than a request. He still had that Malfoy air of superiority after all.

"I'll grab something later," she told him, "You can go if you want."

Normally she wouldn't refuse to join him, but she didn't really feel like food. Her stomach was in knots, her head was pounding. What she really needed now was a drink. Draco suddenly stopped, and stopped her to by holding onto her elbow.

"If you're going to perform your nightly ritual then you need something in your stomach Granger," he said dangerously.

"You aren't my father so you don't get to decide what I _need_ Malfoy," she told him, just as low, but with a little more scorn perhaps.

Losing her patience, she wrenched her elbow out of his grasp and marched towards her chambers. Since she had graduated school only a mere three days before hand, McGonagall had offered her a place as the new Defence teacher. It was an odd decision, but everyone seemed to agree it was the right one...if only to save their own skins from the DADA curse. They effectively thought that they were sacrificing her to Voldemort by letting her take up the post, which was only intensified by her age. She really was starting to hate the lot of them.

When she got to her rooms on the seventh floor, she went to her liquor cabinet without even thinking. It had become such a routine that it was almost second nature to her now, but when she found she was out of firewhiskey, her routine was instantly broken. She hurled the first object she could see, a can opener from memory, and watched as it broke into several pieces. She breathed heavily, trying to calm herself but to no avail. Her anger scorched her veins and pounded her headache even further into her psyche. Curse the stupid Order and their incessant mouths!

"Why can't I just get what I want!" She screamed into the night.

"Because that would be fair," came a voice from the shadows, frightening her slightly, "And as you should have discovered by now, even by Gryffindor standards, _life.__isn't.__fair_."

She turned to look at the imposing figure of Severus Snape, a small glare within her eyes. She never glared at him fully anymore, knowing what he had sacrificed for the greater good. He had cleared his name when he came back to the Order, permitting them to see his memories so that they would believe him, and just for Harry's sake, enduring an embarrassing round of questions under Veritaserum. After that, he resumed his post as Defence teacher, until Hermione was old enough to take over, and he became a full time Order member, living within the castle and sharing quarters with her. They had formed a sort of...alliance during that time, she telling him what was going through Harry's head as things got harder and harder, and he helping her to control his outbursts and tantrums. Although he was meant to save the world, Harry never grew up from that frightened eleven year old who met his maker at the age of one.

"I don't _want_ life to be fair," she told him, striding past him and out of the kitchen, "I just want something, _anything_ to go my way! _Anything_ at all!"

It had begun, she was starting to fall apart. After a week of drinking and keeping her emotions under control, she was starting to lose herself, and in a matter of seconds, it would all be over. She registered it within the depths of her mind, the idea swimming among her thoughts of loss, of fate and of revenge, but for once, she didn't try to stop the inevitable, or control something that was too wild or untamed. She let it happen, because to be fair, she had been fighting a losing battle.

"As it is often the case you will find that _nothing_ will ever go your way again," he scorned, following her out of the kitchen, "That does not give you the excuse to fall apart."

"How about losing my best friend?" She screeched at him, "Does that register on your non-existent pain radar? Or does it just fall short behind losing the one you love to your most hated enemy?"

She knew that the comment had struck a chord, but he kept quiet and glowered at her. If it had been Harry that had said it, he would have been murdered on the spot, but because it was her, he would let her live. He, unlike the others, knew that she had something left to offer, and if she could just hold on that little bit longer, she would find the solution she had been looking for. She couldn't break now, not when she was needed so desperately.

He watched her as she paced their living room, fuming at herself and at everyone around her, her anger pouring from the very depths of her soul, but there were no tears. He didn't expect them to come just yet, and he had to stop her before they did, because once she let them flow from her chocolate eyes onto her porcelain cheeks, she wouldn't be able to stop.

"I know that you-"

"You don't know anything-"

"Let me finish!" He roared back, raising his voice for the first time since she had known him. It was almost frightening until he calmed down and looked at her, composed once more, "I know you are frustrated, with yourself, but more so with the idiots around you. You know what they need and yet they won't hear a word you have to say. You are grieving for the loss of Potter, you are confused out of your mind and you are holding on by a piece of string that could snap at any moment, but you must listen to _me_ before it does."

"Why should I?" She asked him incredulously, "Why should I be the one to listen? Why not Ron, or Ginny, or hell, even _Malfoy_!"

"Because they are not the brightest student this school has seen in the last fifty years, that's why!" He roared at her, "_You_ have to hold on, _you_ have to find the solution, because those dunderheads in the Headmistress' office will bicker and argue until the very end!"

"Why can't you do it?" She asked him quietly, "Why does it have to be me?"

His eyes seemed to soften in an un-Snape-ish manor, as he walked over to her side of the room and placed his hands on either side of her face.

"Because I am a tired old man, fresh out of ideas, who lost all hope _years_ before this war began," he whispered to her, "And Weasley would botch it up, his sister would lose her temper and Malfoy may be smart, but he's too much of a Slytherin to put his life at risk again."

She couldn't believe the words that were coming out of his mouth. He had never _once_ given her praise as a child and yet now he was giving her all the adoration in the world. She thought for a moment that he may be lying just to get her to do what he wanted, but it soon faded when she saw the look in his eyes.

"I don't want to," she whispered, "I can't."

"If you can't do it," he whispered back, just as quietly, "Then we are all dead. You are the last one left that could possibly equal him. Dumbledore is gone, I no longer have my strength and McGonagall and the rest of them would die within seconds of meeting him-"

"You're asking me to do the impossible," she muttered.

"I'm asking you to do what you were born to do," he told her.

She looked at him in confusion.

"It was Harry the prophecy-"

"Not every prophecy is fulfilled," he shook his head, "Something dear Albus thought he should never mention. But just as they are never _fulfilled_, some are never _made_."

"If you thought this was my task, then why didn't you tell Dumbledore?" She asked him, her anger rising again, pushing him away, "Why didn't you save Harry?"

"I did tell Dumbledore," he told her earnestly as she began pacing again, "But he was always single minded concerning Potter, and he pushed that unfortunate character trait onto Potter himself. Dumbedore did not listen, and Potter never would have."

"Harry would've listened," she said indignantly, "He always listened."

"Your view of him has become corrupted in the past few days," Snape told her, a firm scowl on his face, "Before he died you were telling me how immature he had become-"

"Shut up," she whispered, not wishing to hear her own words spouted with such scorn.

"How the prophecy had scared him, how he would never be the man he was born to be-"

"Shut up," she said, a little louder, glaring at him with all her might.

"How Dumbledore asked too much of him," he continued, unperturbed, "How he would never kill the Dark Lord on his own, how he had become a weak minded child-"

"SHUT UP!" She screamed and lunged at him, but he was ready for it. He grabbed her and slammed her into the dining room table, head pressed against the wood, arms trapped between Snape's body and her own.

"Why me?" She asked him vehemently again, "Why am I the only one who can't fall apart! They've all shed their tears-"

"And you will shed yours," he whispered back harshly, "But not yet. You aren't allowed to fall apart because you possess what the Dark Lord praises above all else. Intellect, cunning, stubbornness-"

"And the one thing he despises most," she argued back, trying to struggle free of his bizzar hold.

"It is not important," he said, finally swinging her round, holding her wrists and backing her into the wall instead, "Not when he doesn't know who you are..."

He glued her wrists to the wall with one hand, and dove into his pocket with the other, pulling out what she thought to be a time turner. Her eyes widened at the sight of it.

"You are the only one that can face him," he whispered to her hoarsely, "The only one that can figure out his weaknesses. All you need is the information, straight from the Dragon's den..."

"And what does the rest of the Order have to say about this?" She asked him quietly, still glaring at him.

"Do you really think that I would tell those idiots about something as brilliant as this?" He asked her, sarcasm dripping from his words, dangling the golden watch in front of her, "This is our only chance."

"It's the only chance you _see_."

"It's the only chance _left_," he said exasperatedly, "Look at the facts Granger. Potter is dead, you are catering to a bunch of idiots who won't listen to you and those that will are either old and desperate or young and naïve. We are doomed in this time."

"How long have you been considering this?" She asked him.

"Since the beginning," he told her honestly, "Since your fifth year when I _knew_ we would lose this war. I held onto your time turner in your third and made alterations. This will take you back fifty six years into the past where you will change the course of history and save us from him. Gain his trust and then come back with the information we need. I don't care _how_ you do it, the point is that you _will_."

She stared at the offending object, her heart pounding in her chest as the double meanings behind all Severus' words washed over her.

"I can't fall apart," she gulped as he slowly released her from the wall, "Because I am about to venture into the mouth of doom."


	2. Time

**Hello Lovely Readers!**

**Here's the next bit, hope you enjoy it and as always, let me know what you think. Reviews are crutial.**

**Disclaimer: The wonderful J.K owns everything I could possibly want, including most of these characters. I own nothing and I bow my head to her wonderful magical mind.**

* * *

Chapter two: Time

"What is your name?"

"Hermione Evans."

"Where are you from?"

"The borders of Italy."

"You sound English."

"I moved to Italy when I was eleven. I've been home schooled."

"Who are your parents?"

"Lily and Severus Evans."

"Do you have any siblings?"

"No."

"Why are you so beaten and bloodied?"

"Grindlewald finally found us."

"What does he want with you?"

"My parents never told me."

All answers were given quickly, without emotion, without feeling, without conviction. Severus was growing tired of hearing it over and over again, but he had to keep going until she got it. If she was going to do this, she needed to learn that she couldn't just _give_ the answers. She had to _feel_ the answers, feel the pain every time she spoke her parents' names, feel the horror every time _Grindlewald's_ name was mentioned. Essentially, if she was going to fool the dark lord himself, she needed to learn how to be an uncontrollable wreck of a woman and put all the pain and anger she felt, into her performance. Yet every time she tried, it came off cold and calculating. It seemed that "Uncontrollable wreck" wasn't in her over sized vocabulary.

"Again," he growled, "What is your name?"

"Hermione Evans."

"Where are you from?"

"The borders of Italy."

"You sound English."

"I moved to Italy when I was eleven. I've been home schooled."

"Who are your parents?"

"Lily and Severus Evans."

"Do you have any siblings?"

"No."

"Why are you so beaten and bloodied?"

"Grindlewald finally found us."

"What does he want with you?"

"My parents never told me."

Still completely nothing. After her little display before, he had a feeling that she was afraid to let go, afraid to let her emotions rule her body. She needed to let it happen, or at least try to fake it, and yet she wasn't willing. Perhaps he had made a mistake in choosing her? No, he had heard about her display in Umbridge's office. If that had been done on the spot, then imagine what she could do when it was planned. She just needed to let go.

"Again," he sneered.

"We've been at this for hours," she moaned, "I remember all the answers, what's the problem?"

"The problem is that not even _Longbottom's_ relatives will believe a word you say," he rolled his eyes, "You are a terrible actress when called upon."

"I can't do this," she shook her head, "I don't know _how_ to do this!"

"You need to relax," a voice came from the shadows. Both turned to see the stony face of Draco Malfoy staring back at them. He looked angered and frightened at the same time, something Hermione thought she would never see from him. Anger, maybe, but fear? That was just a whole new box of Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans.

"What do you mean relax?" She asked him, genuinely curious.

"You have all these emotions couped up in this little cell in the back of your mind," he explained, coming to sit next to her, "When the time comes for you to say all these things, open the flood gates, and the answers will come naturally."

"Should I-"

"No. If you do it now, it won't be as convincing when you face him," he told her, then turned to Snape, "I need a word with _you_."

"If it is concerning this project, Miss Granger will be present," Snape said curtly.

"I would prefer to speak privately with you-"

"No," Hermione suddenly cut across him, "If there's anything you have to say, say it now so I don't have to yell at you later."

He glared at her.

"Do you even know what you're getting into?" He asked her, "Do you know what you will have to do to make this work?"

"How do you even _know_ about it?" Snape asked him.

"Is that really important?" Hermione jumped in, before turning to Draco, "What are you on about?"

"Did he fully inform you of what gaining the Dark Lord's trust means?" The blond clarified.

She looked at Snape for a moment who glared at Draco and Draco glared back.

"You," he snapped, "Are just as bad as Dumbledore."

He stood, taking Hermione's hand in his and leading her from her seat.

"Wait!" she tried to tug herself away, but he wouldn't let go, "What are you doing?! What's going on?!"

"He's manipulating you into a suicide mission, _that's_ what's going on!" He roared at her, "He's sending you into the unknown without all the knowledge you need, _that's_ what's going on!"

Suddenly, she felt a curse whip by her ear and hit Draco in the chest, forcing him to let go and smash into the kitchen counter. She turned to see Severus looking livid.

"What do you think will happen once she knows?" He glared at the now immobile blond, "She will run! Just like Potter!"

"I am _not_ a coward!" She screeched at him, suddenly as angry as the others.

"She would be _right_ to run!" Draco coughed, looking up at his former professor, "To do all that _you_ did, and probably more would destroy her!"

"Since when do you care Malfoy?" Snape sneered at him.

"Since I know what it's like to be used," he glared at him fully, his malice for the potion's master showing through the fire in his eyes, "You saw what he tried to do to me, what he tried to turn me into. I only just escaped so how do you know Granger will be strong enough to resist? How do you know his charms won't work on her?"

"Because I've lost far more than you ever could Malfoy," she glared at him, "I've lost my parents, my best friend...Because my boyfriend is a crying wreck and my best friend is essentially in the same state, I've lost them too. The Order no longer trusts me, so you may as well say that I've lost their support and pretty soon my sanity is going to join them all if I don't do something soon. You've seen me at night, how much I drink, how I self destruct. Tell me, is there anyone else out there who could possibly do this instead? Is there anyone else in this world who hates the Dark Lord more than I do?"

He couldn't answer her, hell, he could barely look at her. Perhaps she had thought this through more than what he had suspected? Perhaps Severus had informed her better than he thought? But he couldn't just let her do this! It was suicide! Diving into the belly of the beast without a flashlight! He stepped forward.

"I still can't let you do this," he told her, "We may not be the best of friends Granger, but I'm not going to let you be manipulated like this."

"You have to," she told him blankly, "Because it's our only chance."

He stared at her, wondering where this courage in the face of death came from. He had never possessed such a thing, and knew that this was why she was a Gryffindork, but it was still an anomaly to him. How someone could be this, this..._stupid_, he would never know, but he had to admit...she was right. She was the only one who could possibly do this without being caught, the only one who could do it and come back alive. She was the only one with a chance, no matter how small it would be. But still, she was being manipulated into something she knew nothing about, he couldn't possibly allow it without a fight, he couldn't possibly let her do it when she didn't know what she was getting into.

"She can never fully understand it Draco," Snape suddenly spoke, "Not until it's actually happening. You didn't, I didn't, hell, I don't even think your _father_ did until it was too late. She has to figure it out in her own time."

He was about to ask if she ever would figure it out, but caught himself, remembering exactly who he was talking about. Of course she would figure it out, but at what cost...

BANG!

It came from the entrance hall, the loudest crash they had ever heard.

"What the bloody hell was that?" She asked them both, all drawing their wands.

BOOM!

"That one was closer," Snape muttered.

"Do you think the others heard it?" Hermoine asked them both.

"Who cares," Draco rolled his eyes, taking her hand again, Snape suddenly leaving with them both, "They can look after themselves for one battle!"

BANG!

That was definitely on the first floor. Draco and Severus lead her out of their rooms and into the hallway, clutching her tightly, trying to figure out a way to get her out unnoticed by the death eaters that were attacking the castle, but the only way was through the One Eyed Witch passage on the fifth floor, and that would lead them dangerously close to meeting them. They were moving fast, faster than she ever thought possible.

CRASH!

Merlin, that was the third floor! They would be there in a matter of minutes. There was no time to escape, no time to find the others, no time to even think! She suddenly stopped thinking altogether as that one word reiterated inside her mind..._Time._

"Time," she muttered, as the other two looked at her funnily.

She grabbed both of them by their wrists and lead them just across the hall to the tapestry of Barnabus that Barmy and his dancing trolls.

"What are you doing Granger?!" Draco hollared at her, "We're about to be captured and you want to look at the art work?!"

"Merlin, it's been far too long since you were here," she sighed, rolling her eyes, walking in front of the wall opposite the tapestry three times before the door appeared before them all. Severus and Draco let out a collective, "Oh," before she ushered them inside.

BANG! BOOM!

The sixth floor. Not far now.

"How many times do you have to turn this thing to get it to go back fifty six years?" She asked Severus in a hurry.

He seemed to catch onto her plan and backed away.

"Only you can go," he told her, "Take the damn thing and save the world already!"

She turned her wand on him and stunned him before he could even react.

"Do you have a problem with living?" She asked Draco, her eyes blazing, daring him to object.

He shook his head mutely, slightly frightened by her now. They ventured over to Severus, tied the golden chain around his neck, reviving him quickly, yet holding him down.

"How many times Severus," Draco hissed at him.

"I'm not-"

"We're all going, with or without your instructions," Hermione told him forcefully, "Use that over sized brain of yours, think of the logic behind this decision and tell me HOW MANY TIMES!"

The largest explosion yet and a series of yells from just outside the door seemed to make up his mind.

"Three," he muttered and before he could say anything else, time stood still, and then ventured backwards to a day that none of them had ever visited before.

***

They landed heavily on the floor, one on top of the other, Hermione, unfortunately in the middle.

"Could you have made this thing any less graceful," Draco grumbled from the bottom.

"It was not designed for more than one passenger," Severus scowled at Hermione.

"It was either that or the two of you died," she chastised him, sneaking off of Draco and onto the floor of the Room of Requirement, "They'll imprison the rest of the Order, but they would have murdered the two of you on the spot. You're traitors after all."

"Thank you very much for the reminder," Draco scowled at her, before lifting himself off of the floor and looking around the room, "Do you suppose it worked?"

"There's no reason why it shouldn't have," she answered, "And if that calender is anything to go by," she nodded to the other side of the room, "Then yes, it worked."

The eyes of the other two ventured to where hers rested and found the date. _August 29th...1944_

"Then if we are correct, we have a day or so before you face him," Severus muttered, "Perhaps you should venture with her into the school Malfoy? She will need an ally..."

"No," Hermione said, "It would be best if the two of you stayed here. If Malfoy goes with me, then that's another story we have to concoct, another mind for Riddle to try and read. You were right when you said that it was my task."

"That was before the two of _us_ got stuck here with you," Severus spat, obviously still angered by her decision.

"Don't pretend that you were ok with dying Snape," she glared at him firmly, "You love life just as much as the next person, even if you don't show it. Besides, it may be my task...But I can't do it on my own."

The other two looked at her, Severus huffed and Draco smirked. There was no way they were going to get around her cool logic. It was just too damn hard. They sat there in the Room of Requirement, going over the plan Severus had made, running through it over and over until it was fixed in all their minds. Hermione distantly wondered what would happen to the others once they were captured, what horrors they would have to endure as she endeavored to save the world.

"You must keep your mind off your friends at all times," Severus told her sharply, "He can sense weakness a mile away."

"My friends give me strength-"

"They've been your weakness ever since you set foot in this castle," Draco rolled his eyes, "Even _you_ have to admit that."

"I will admit nothing of the sort!" She told him indignantly, still feeling guilty over the things Severus had said earlier.

"Regardless," Severus stopped them before a fight could break out, "They must only be a distant memory from now on, nothing more. As far as I know, he is still a legillimans, even at the age of seventeen. He will be the strongest challenge you will ever face, the most complicated puzzle you will ever solve, so you need to be focused Granger."

"If I can survive seven years of torment inside _your_ classroom," she glared at him then turned to Draco, "And in _your_ company, this should be a piece of cake."

They each glared at her, but resumed talking and giving instructions none the less...

***

Buzzing. That was all he heard as his followers bleated in his ear. He was so close to hexing them into oblivion that he didn't even have the patience to laugh about it. They talked of so many insignificant things. Holidays, women, parents, women, work, pets, oh and did he mention women? As far as he was concerned, women were useless. Not one of them had any potential in the castle, not one. Even the teachers went fluffy every time they looked at him. It was disgusting, and did he say useless already?

"...And then she did this thing with her leg," one of them bleated on, "And it sort of twisted and everything just-"

"Avery," Tom interrupted quietly, "If you don't close that ever gaping hole in your face, I will hex it shut, put a permanent sticking charm on your lips, a silencing spell on your vocal chords and torture you until you no longer have the capacity to scream."

It was the silent anger that made him so intimidating. Useless idiots like Malfoy or Avery, or hell, even Rodolphus, would yell and scream and throw tantrums like little babies. They couldn't scare their way out of a paper bag. But Tom, with his quiet persona, his restrained anger, almost silent demeanor and total self control, scared all those who stood in his path. Avery was no different from any first year, cowering in fear of Tom's impassive, yet stony glare. Only he had ever been able to pull that off without having his face contorted into something horrible. Malfoy had tried for several years, but all he had managed was a pouting lip.

"Sorry Tom," he whispered, whithering away to the back of the group that followed Tom around, Malfoy stepping forward in his place.

"When will be our next meeting?" He asked the miniature lord.

"When I deem one neccessary," Tom told him.

He found that some days, coming to the school early could be both a blessing and a curse. A blessing for the usual peace and quiet, time to plan, time to explore and the better atmosphere than what the orphanage could ever produce. A curse, well, look at the idiots he had to deal with when he was there. They walked a fair pace down to the Slytherin common room, where the others plopped themselves on a couch or a chair or some other leather covered piece of furniture.

Tom remained standing, pacing, glaring into the fireplace every now and then. Something was different about this day, different than the others had experienced a day before the school term. Could it be his new Head Boy position? No, he ruled the school anyway, the fact that it was now official made no difference. Was it that his friends were here with him this time? No, Malfoy was always here, why should the rest of them make a difference? He didn't know what it was, but something definitely felt off, something definitely wasn't right.

"You should sit down Tom," one of the boys suggested, "Take a load off. You did a tonne of work during the holidays, you deserve a rest-"

"Do not tell me what to do Nott," he said quietly, still pacing, "It is my job to order you, not the other way around."

Nott fell silent as did the rest. When their lord was in unrest, they knew to keep quiet. The slightest error in speech or movement, could be the last thing they ever did. Tom continued to pace. He always knew when something wasn't right within his home. When the Basalisk in the Chamber of Secrets had woken, he knew, and made sure that it hurt the right people. When Hagrid had introduced an Acromantula to the castle, he knew, and got rid of it within minutes. If there was anything wrong within Hogwarts, anything out of place, out of order, out of...date? Why did that come to mind? He would know. It was an acute sixth sense that he had always possessed but never used unless necessary. Something he had failed to tell his followers, but it wasn't as if they _needed_ to know.

A small crack alerted him to the smallest corner of the common room. An elf, barely two feet tall with bulging eyes that watered without reason, stood, hunched in the shadows, more frightened to speak than any other time in her life.

"Headm-master Dippet is s-sending Kipper to retrieve M-Mr Riddle," she squeaked.

He turned his cold gaze to the tiny creature and gestured for her to continue, not removing his penetrating stare for a moment.

"H-he is needing him to h-heal a witch," she continued, almost sobbing, "Because Professor Dumbledore is still being on vacasion."

"Where is Madam Guile?" He asked her, his voice just as cold as his stare.

"She is being ill sir, in St Mungo's sir," she squeaked again, "Professor Dippet is not being very good at healing and is remembering how you is helping him in the third floor corridor."

Tom remembered that day too. Dippet had been drunk off his face, his favorite aunt having just died, and he ended up tripping and breaking several bones as he fell down the stairs. He tried unsuccessfully to heal himself in his intoxicated state, and the only reason Tom thought he couldn't do it was because of the copious amounts of alcohol in his system. Apparently, he was far worse a wizard than what the boy had predicted.

"Where is Professor Dippet now?" Tom asked the tiny thing, dressed in a tartan dish towel.

"He is being in the hospital wing with the witch sir," the elf squeaked, and deciding that she had explained enough, apparated away with a soft _crack_. The wheels in Tom's head began to spin, connections being made. _This_ was what had been bothering him the moment he had set foot inside the halls of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. _This_ was what had been playing at his mind and his sixth sense for the past hours. An unknown witch befouling his halls with her unworthy presence! Without saying anything to the others, he left the common room, his mood growing darker and darker as he climbed each step.

He didn't expect to see his new patient in such a mess as he finally entered the Hospital wing. Black eyes and bruises, broken bones and curse burns, not to mention her mind was an emotional wreck as she sat on her bed, curled around herself in a protective ball, sobbing and muttering to herself to keep it together, just long enough to leave the castle in one peace. She had obviously come from the front lines, but why _she_, as a _witch_ would be there, he didn't know.

"Tom!" He whipped around to see Professor Dippet approaching him, "Thank goodness you're here! I didn't know what to do! No one else in the castle and all..."

"It's fine Professor," he said, putting on his best fake smile and sorrowful eyes, "Where did she come from?"

"I don't know," he said gravely, "She's done nothing but chant to herself to...er..._keep it together_."

"She's failing dismaly," he muttered to himself, just quiet enough for the Professor not to hear.

***

Hermione secretly watched them through blurry eyes, still chanting to herself not to fall apart. Draco had told her to open the flood gates of emotion, but she knew that if she left it open too long, she wouldn't be able to get through this without trying and failing to murder Riddle. She let out as many tears as she could without going over board and losing herself in her injured state. It had been Severus' idea to make her look as though she had just come from the front lines of the Grindlewald war, but it had been Draco's to actually hurt her. She thought that he just wanted to get back at her for punching him in third year, but she had to admit, that the pain helped with her performance. _Why_ he had to use stinging hexes repeatedly to create her burns, she didn't know. Perhaps it was his private form of torture for her for being such an idiot over the past three days. He wouldn't be a Malfoy if he didn't get back at her for that. After all, he was right, they never were close, and probably never would be.

"Miss?" A tender voice jolted her out of her reverie. She turned sharply, momentarily stopping her chanting to look upon a handsome face. Eyes of water, hair of earth, sharp chizzled chin, high cheek bones and perfect porcelain skin. They made for a very comforting vision, or at least they would if she didn't know who they belonged to.

She looked at him with frightened eyes as he tried to enter her mind, but she blocked him with a large wall of emotions that he would _never_ get through, no matter how skilled a legillimans he was. He looked momentarily shocked, but said nothing. Instead he tried to take her arm in his hands. Big mistake. Where did he get his healing licence from? A cockroach cluster packet? Everyone knew that you never tried anything so rude with a battle victim and as long as she was supposed to be out of her mind with worry, she could hurt him as much as she liked and not really be punished for it, or so Draco had told her. She pushed her magical energy as far as she could, and the result was that he ended up on the other side of the room, landing violently on the floor, with a large cupboard heading his way. It would have hit him if his reflexes hadn't been so quick and he had banished it before it got anywhere near him. He got up off of the floor and turned to Dippet with a scowl.

"I say we let her die," he said flatly, but Dippet coaxed him into giving it another go. Tom obviously wasn't happy about having to go near her again. He tried talking to her instead of being so invasive this time. His manors really did need work.

"What's your name?" He asked her quietly.

She snapped her head wildly in his direction, her eyes a blaze with emotion she had kept hidden for months. She seemed to give him a quick assessment, and finally decided to answer him after a long dramatic pause, just for effect.

"Hermione Evans." She whispered back

"Where are you from?"

"The borders of Italy."

"You sound English."

She chose to go back to chanting and he had to try and win her attention again. She rocked back and forth on the bed, her protective ball tightening as her chanting became louder. She had to admit that this was kind of fun, or at least it would be if the consequences weren't so dire.

"Who are your parents? Where are they?"

"Lily- Severus Evans," she choked and sobbed some more between chants, "Dead."

"Do you have any siblings?"

"Dead."

"Why are you covered in curse scars?"

"Dead," she muttered again, just for effect.

"Why are you in such bad shape," he chose to rephrase.

She choked and cried until she caught control of herself again, feeling herself slipping as Harry slipped into her mind.

"G-Grindlewald," she only just managed, as Sirius made his way into her internal vision, earning more tears, using her grief as much as she could without dying from it.

She couldn't believe that Severus' questions had been most of Tom's, how similar they had been was almost scary. Tom looked at her, the epitome of calm as his eyes swept over her injuries, finally resting on her eyes.

"Will you let me heal you?" He asked her, putting on the softest look he could manage. It was the only look he hadn't really mastered. Even when he tried to convey empathy and calm, it still looked calculating and cold. But she wasn't here to evaluate his facial expressions. After she choked a little more, she extended her arm to him, trying as hard as she could not to shudder at his icy touch. She re-sealed her emotions then, letting her logic take over and caging the beast once more, just as Draco had taught her to do only moments ago.

He worked quickly and silently, something that she was grateful for, not just for the silence and being able to think, but the pain from the bruises Severus gave her was starting to become unbearable. Within minutes, he was done, stepping back from her as her tears suddenly stopped flowing and he looked down at her properly. She wasn't the most beautiful thing in the world, with that birds nest on her head, yet she was the most ugly either. Her skin was perfectly clear, her brown orbs held depth, intelligence and knowledge and now that she had pulled herself together properly, she looked almost dignified. She gazed up at him, appraising like all the rest, and yet there was a self respect that she seemed to hold onto as she did so.

"Thank you," she said courteously.

He gave her a curt nod and stepped back, allowing the headmaster to come through.

"I did the best I could sir," he said quietly, "Some of the scars will take a little longer to heal..."

"Nonsense Tom!" He smiled, "You've done an _excellent_ job! Thank goodness we allowed you to join us a few days early. I am sorry to have used you like this, but I must insist that you leave, at least for a little while, while I question Miss...er..."

"Evans," they said together, Tom staring at her for a moment and she staring back.

"Evans," the old wizard smiled kindly.

It seemed that Tom didn't need to be told twice, and left then without a word, leaving Hermione and the old fool to their school business.


	3. Finding the line to cross

**Hello Lovely Readers!  
**

**Yes, I know it's been a while, but creativity takes time and I just went back to school last week, so as you can imagine, my case load is pretty big atm. Have patience, I'll update all my stories when I get the chance. A big thank you to those who reviewed my last two chapters, they were brilliant reviews and I hope I continue to keep you entertained.**

**Disclaimer: The wonderful J.K owns everything I could possibly want, including most of these characters. I own nothing and I bow my head to her wonderful magical mind

* * *

**

Chapter three: Finding the line to cross

It had taken Hermione half an hour to get the Headmaster off her back and let her explore the castle a little bit by herself, saying that she needed some time to think. In truth, she needed to speak to Severus and Draco, but he didn't need to know that. He restricted her to the seventh floor only, saying that he would come and collect her for dinner later on. This suited her nicely, and she made her way down the cold stone halls of Hogwarts, walking swiftly to the locked and warded to the point of insanity, Room of Requirement. She had asked the room to do so, only allowing _them_ to come and go as she pleased. After all, they didn't want any unwanted visitors.

"How did it go?" Draco asked from an arm chair as she sneaked in.

The room was decorated in warm colours of red and gold, much to the disgust of the other two, with fluffy arm chairs, two beds, two bathrooms, and a potions laboratory, just to keep Severus entertained. Food was taken care of by the fact that Hermione had Harry's old invisibility cloak stuffed in her pocket, ready for them to use at any moment and clothes were simple when they had plenty of extra towels in the bathroom to transfigure.

"The Headmaster will believe anything I say," she rolled her eyes, "And Riddle seemed satisfied after I threw him into a wall."

Severus raised his eyebrows and Draco snickered. Severus had a healthy fear for the Dark Lord, where as Draco was out for revenge at any cost. It was probably why he had agreed to go along so easily...that, and the fact that he would be dead right now if he hadn't.

"So what's the next step?" She asked them.

Severus stood from the dining table and moved over to her.

"Now you have to pique his interest," he told her, placing a hand on her shoulder and moving her to the middle of the room, "At the moment, he will see you as a petty little woman, crying over nothing," Draco snorted, but was ignored, "You have to show him what you are capable of, get him to _want_ to share his secrets with you, show him that you are his intellectual equal, even though you would never meet him in power."

"In other words," Draco jumped in, still smirking, "Confuse him so that he simply _has_ to take an interest, then get in his pants."

Hermione cringed and Severus scowled.

"She's not trying to seduce him Malfoy," Severus scorned.

"May as well," he laughed, "From what I heard in the Death Eater ranks, he never had a girlfriend. Maybe that'll loosen him up."

Hermione scowled at him but he just continued to laugh at her. It was hard to believe how quickly his personality could change. One minute he was trying to save her at all costs and now he was joking about the mission entirely, though she suspected that Severus had made him see it his way while she had been gone.

"What about his friends?" She asked them both, "I don't think he would really call them _friends,_ but they'll be an obstacle, certainly."

"They could also be tools," Severus told her, "His followers are mindless drones. They'll do anything to keep him happy, just so that they won't be murdered...at least I am assuming that's how they'll be. Death Eaters may have become more idiotic over time. Win only _some_ of their favour, let them know that he needs _you_ by his side, and they'll back off just enough to let you in. You're going to clash with them, it's inevitable, so when you do fight them, fight them well, don't back down and make sure that it's in front of Riddle."

Hermione made all these mental notes as he continued to speak. This was going to be far more difficult than she thought. She never imagined that manipulation would play such a part in this, then again, she had never been much of a Slytherin. It was a good thing that the Order had left the spying up to these two.

She froze for a moment, Draco's words suddenly catching up with her at full force.

"Severus," she said quietly, still unused to using his first name.

He looked up at her again.

"He's a teenage boy now," she said meekly, finding this subject and her fear rather difficult to discuss, "I could alter this time dramatically, as well as ours."

"That _is_ the point Granger," Draco rolled his eyes, "And they call you the brightest witch of your age?"

"I-I know," she swallowed, closing her eyes for a bit and then opening them again, stuttering still, "But, the first time around, he-he never encountered me before."

Severus' look became more confused as she went on and Draco suddenly sobered up, catching on quickly.

"What if," she breathed, "What if I...change his _opinion_ of me too much? What if..._he's_ the one..."

Severus suddenly understood and closed his eyes for a brief moment as Draco looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Have you ever had sex before?" He asked her, genuinely interested.

She cringed at how he could just mention it so casually. It was something she'd never spoken about to anyone her age before, let alone divulged her..._status_ to. It was a completely forbidden topic.

"It's not any of your business Malfoy," she instantly became defensive.

He smirked.

"Well that answers that question," he snickered, "I always knew you were a prude."

"Just because Ron and I never got that far," she fired at him, "Doesn't mean that I'm a prude!"

"You've been going out for a _year_, Granger," he laughed, "How could you not have gotten that far?"

Hermione was about ready to explode when Severus intervened.

"Enough!" He exclaimed, catching both their attention, "I don't think I'm entirely intoxicated enough to be listening to your abhorrent sex lives...or lack there of."

Hermione scowled at him, but he ignored it as he walked over to her and placed both his hands on her shoulders, forcing her to look at him.

"If I thought that..._that_ was a possibility," he told her quietly, "I wouldn't have chosen you for this."

Instead of showing some sign of relief as he expected her too, she scowled deeper and threw him from her shoulders, causing him to stumble a bit.

"Are you saying that I am incapable of seducing someone?!" She asked him indignantly, Draco howling in laughter as Severus cringed.

"Not at all," he said smoothly, "I simply thought that your...current position on the matter would get in the way."

"How did _you_ know about my _'current position'_?" She asked him, fury outlining her curiosity.

"The fact that you kicked Weasley out of your bedroom before midnight every time he came to visit was a rather large clue," he rolled his eyes.

Draco was just about rolling on the floor in hysterics at that and Hermione turned a rather lovely shade of red. Even the curves of Severus' lips twitched slightly at the thought. She couldn't take it any more. She immediately marched towards the door and the others sobered, if only for a moment.

"Where are you going?" Draco asked, still struggling not to laugh at her fury.

"Save the world," she mumbled and left, but not before hearing Draco double over once more.

She couldn't believe their nerve! How could they possibly be so insightful, so maddening, so god damn insensitive! It was just horrible! Just because she wanted her first time to be with someone she loved, someone she admired, someone that she would be with for the rest of her life, did not mean that she was a prude! She had heard about the number of girls who went to Draco's bed at night, hell she even heard about Professor Sinstra being caught in the dungeons late one evening, much to her own surprise, and yet she didn't go around calling them a couple of sluts did she? And it was certain that Draco definitely fit that description. Oh if his father ever heard about the number of women who-

"Miss Evans?"

Hermione swiftly turned her head to see the Headmaster standing in front of her. She instantly hid behind a carefully composed mask of anger, depression and dignity.

"Yes sir?" She asked him quietly.

"Are you done with your reflection?" He asked her quietly, "It is time for dinner."

"Yes sir," she answered with a slight nod of her head.

He smiled at her kindly and lead her down the stairs to the Great Hall, chatting amiably along the way.

"I do believe you'll love Hogwarts," he told her, "We'll have you sorted for your final year of education when the rest of the students and teachers arrive back from vacation. Until then, I have arranged for you to stay in quarters that are just beside Tom's. He's our head boy this year, so I've delegated you as his responsibility until you get settled in."

Hermione was torn between elation that she was going to have a reason to be around him and disgust that...well, she was going to have a reason to be around him. She hadn't missed his quiet, calculated demeanor when she was in the hospital wing. It was down right nasty to say the least. She had never encountered anyone so cold before. The air around him seemed to chill and ice over with every word he spoke. He was one of her most hated enemies, in fact, he was definitely _the_ most hated enemy. She wanted nothing more than to strangle him where he stood, but she had to play it cool. If she played her cards right and did as she needed to...she may just get that chance.

They reached the Great Hall in record time, the oak doors being just as she remembered them, full of life, though she had to say that there were a few less curse marks on the finely polished wood. Inside was like it had been at Christmas during third year, only considerably less festive. She had to admit that it wasn't entirely unexpected. The house tables were gone, as well as the staff table, and there in the middle of the room, remained only one. Around it sat ten seats, two of which the Headmaster and Hermione filled promptly and waited for the others. It didn't take long for Riddle to arrive with his gang of thugs in toe. There was one in particular that caught Hermione's eye, after all, she had just seen the same blond hair and blue eyes laughing hysterically at her own discomfort.

Tom gave a stiff nod to the Headmaster, without acknowledging her at all. She took this as a hint and pretended that he didn't exist either, favouring to eye the other boys instead. Yes, they were all male. That little tid bit was annoying in itself. The feminist inside her began to bubble as they too followed their master's lead, nodding to the headmaster and ignoring her presence completely. But she quelled her inner monster and mused that at least the Headmaster had manners. Though she was silently surprised when one of them did pay attention to her. He gave her a smile and a small wink as he sat next to her, while Riddle sat across from her. She returned his smile lightly and rather than wink, offered a small courteous nod of the head. His smile widened as he looked away. He just _had_ to be a relation of Sirius.

"Welcome boys!" Dippet boomed, "I trust you've had an excellent afternoon?"

They each murmured their approval while Riddle stayed silent. Hermione in turn opted not to speak.

"It sounds wonderful," the old man smiled, before he turned to her. She smiled at him and then he turned back to the rest of the boys, "This is Miss Hermione Evans. Our very own Tom healed her only hours ago, saving her from a grim fate. May I trust you all to her safety this term as she settles in?"

There was a murmur of ascent this time, the strange Black relative smiling at her still, and then they all began to eat. Hermione was still a little nauseous from the time travel and simply pushed her food around her plate as conversation ensued.

"My name is Cygnus Black," the boy next to her spoke in a husky voice.

"Hermione Evans," she responded quietly.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Miss Evans," he smiled.

"The pleasure is all mine Mr Black," she smiled back.

They stayed silent for a moment's time, noticing that no one else bothered to introduce themselves to her.

"You must forgive them," he said to her, an apology laced within his words, "Formalities and manors are very high on the Pureblood education list, however they simply choose not to use what they have been taught."

"It doesn't matter," she shook her head, "I find that if one person's manners are to standard, then the rest are unimportant."

"Are you a Pureblood?" He asked her quietly.

"Yes," she lied quickly. She saw Tom flicker his eyes in her direction for the quickest of moments before turning back to his meal.

"Then it should matter," he told her courteously, "Surely you have been educated as such."

"My parents never placed much value on such beliefs," she told him, her mood suddenly turning sour towards him.

He registered the change within an instant.

"You must not think me prejudiced," he said quickly, "I simply meant that the presence of a lovely young lady should be recognised. I find my peers' behaviour to be quite disgraceful at this point in time."

"Settle down Cygnus," Tom suddenly said without showing so much as an inkling of interest, "She isn't going to visit your room tonight, no matter how much you turn on the family charm."

"I don't believe that was what he was implying Mr Riddle," she turned to look at him slowly, her eyes reaching him before she faced him fully.

Tom finally turned to look at her, his eyes piercingly cold as he fixed her with his deathly glare. She couldn't help but glare back. His entire demeanor, his presence, everything about him angered her to the point of insanity. She couldn't just ignore him any longer. The Headmaster was oblivious to what was going on around him, being expertly pulled into conversation by Abraxus, the master of distraction.

"And what was he implying Miss Evans?" He asked her quietly, his voice dropping a few decibels, daring her to speak her mind.

It became clear that he had picked the wrong girl as she straightened in her seat and placed a small smile on her face. Apparently, there was more to her than met the eye.

"Simply that Pureblood gentlemen know to greet a lady when they see her," she told him lightly, "And that they do not ignore her entirely during a meal. Considering you have ignored both of these sentiments, one can only assume that you are of lesser blood and that your friends are related to trolls with such stupidity clouding their deluded visions of you."

The entire table held its breath as they glared at each other. Riddle wasn't going to try anything at the dinner table, she knew it, not with the Headmaster around. He may try to attack her later, however she was more than confident that she could at least defend herself against him, show _some_ defiance. After all, he couldn't kill her when she was so well known to Dippet and she wasn't afraid to take some pain.

To everyone's surprise, the left corner of his lips curled into a smirk.

"Or perhaps I don't see a Lady at this table and merely a child posing as one," he told her, "I've seen more lady like people come out of a pile of dragon dung."

His friends laughed and she couldn't help but smirk back at him. It seemed he was at least willing to debate with her before he tortured her.

"Each to their own Mr Riddle," she smiled, "Though if you are going to call me a child, I must remind you that it takes one Blast-Ended-Skrewt, to recognise another."

"Then I must remind _you_ that children could not have saved your life this afternoon."

"Fair point," she nodded, "But what makes you think I could not have healed myself? It may have taken longer, but it would definitely have been done."

"Prove it."

"Lend me one of your friends after you've finished your temper tantrum tonight and I would be happy to oblige."

He glared at her fully now.

"What makes you think I would be so childish as to have a temper tantrum?"

"I have a habit of invoking such things in children," she replied with a smirk.

There was a tense silence through out the table, Dippet and Abraxus still talking about this year's Quidditch season. You could cut the tension with the tip of your wand, as Hermione and Tom glared at one another. Cygnus wasn't one for tension unless it was a different kind, so he worked his magic, so to speak, and rid the table of the awkward silence.

"So..." He said, turning back to Hermione, "Does that mean _you_ will indulge in a temper tantrum later? Might I join in? I know some wonderful ways to..._relieve_ anger."

She couldn't help but choke on her drink as his words made their way to her ears. He was definitely related to Sirius. The rest of the dinner passed without incident, Tom quite content to ignore her again. His followers, minus Cygnus, followed suit. She found the Black ancestor to be just as charming as his descendant. Full of wit and cunning that only a Slytherin could possess. She knew now why Mrs Black had struck his name off of the family tree. When the time came to leave, she pushed out her chair and allowed Cygnus to take her arm, leading her out of the hall after a quick good night to Dippet.

"Have you decided what classes you will be taking?" He asked her as they stepped out into the entrance hall.

"I believe that I signed up for Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, Advance Transfiguration, Advanced Potions, Advanced Defence Against the Dark Arts, Herbology and Charms."

"Quite a load Miss Evans," he almost laughed, "I've only ever seen Tom take on such a schedule."

"Then perhaps Mr Riddle is less of a troll than what I first thought him to be," she muttered.

"Well that _troll_ as you say," Cygnus smirked, "Is head boy and in charge of you for the next few days. I suggest that you gain a healthy fear and respect for him."

"The words fear and respect should not be used in the same sentence Mr Black," she told him, "But I will take what you have said into consideration."

He smiled down at her for a bit until he felt a tap on his shoulder and heard a slight cough to his left. They both turned to see Tom standing by him.

"It is time for bed," he told him, an order underlying his statement.

Cygnus smiled at her again after a quick nod to Tom and kissed her hand good night before departing with the others. Tom then roughly took her arm, as it seemed to be custom in these times and lead her upstairs rather than down. He didn't speak to her during the entire journey, but she could tell that he was pissed by her comments at dinner, no matter how subtle he may be showing it. He stopped them on the third floor and suddenly pressed her against a wall, his hand at her throat as his wand rested at her chest. She maintained a calm expression as best she could, but the fear he was making her feel was almost over whelming.

"I believe," he said quietly, "That you need to learn a few things Miss Evans."

That same cold stare almost made her shiver as the tip of his wand pressed directly over her heart.

"That's why I am here is it not?" She asked him sarcastically, just as quietly, just as cold, "This is a school isn't it?"

"Your sarcasm and back chat will end here," he commanded, little above a whisper, "I do not tolerate insolence in my school."

"I hate to burst your bubble Mr Riddle," she said venomously as the tip of her own wand poked in his chest, "But I don't see your name written on the walls."

The tip of his wand suddenly jabbed painfully in her rib and she let out a small grunt of pain.

"Do not test me Miss Evans," he whispered, coming almost nose to nose, "If you cross me again, I will not hesitate to punish you. Your background means little to me, therefore it will not exclude you from my rules."

"You mean all those who follow you blindly," she spat at him, "I've met men like you before Mr Riddle. _Tyrants_, who believe they own the world."

She pressed her wand firmly against his robes, making him step back slightly, trying to relieve the pressure she was inflicting on his heart. Anger was rising within her veins and she couldn't help but press him further. She wanted so desperately to get back at him for every thing he had done to her, all the pain he had caused.

"Let me tell you something Mr Riddle," she continued, a little louder than before as her anger rose and she almost lost it, "You may be powerful, but you are no where near as infallible as you believe."

He looked at her, considering her, as she decided to concede and placed her wand back inside her pocket.

"You will abide by my rules-"

"I will do what I like," she cut him off quietly, "I have spent too many years letting men like you run my life...I will not let it happen again."

He scrutinized her again, but lowered his wand and placed it back inside his own pocket, seeing there was no danger any more. He raised his head imperiously and glared down at her in his cold, controlled manner that he never lost, not once.

"Your room is just behind you," he spoke in the same quiet voice, though less menacing now, "Be sure that you are there and ready for the feast tomorrow night."

She gave him a curt nod and watched with slight relief as he walked away from her, just across the other side of the hall, where his own chambers were located. Something told her that tomorrow was going to be more trying than anything she had ever attempted before. She let out a shuddering breath as she turned from him also and left to her chambers, to get a fit full nights sleep.


	4. And you're still standing?

**Hello Lovely Readers!**

**I know it's been a while, but you know how school work and real life can catch up with you. I really enjoyed writing this chapter, so I hope you guys enjoy reading it too. I think it fleshes out Tom's and Hermione's current relationship just that little bit more and makes it that much easier to change in the near future. Anyways, have fun!**

**Disclaimer: Sadly, this wonderful world and most of the people in it with a few exceptions are not mine, though I would take really good care of it if it were :). I bow my head to Miss Rowling and her wonderful, magical mind.

* * *

**

Chapter four: And you're still standing?

Sunlight streamed through the tiny crack in her velvet curtains, as the new day woke her from her uneven slumber. She had tossed and turned all night, at one point getting up to be sick in her paper bin at the desk. If it wasn't for the fact that she had traveled over fifty years in the past, she may have thought she was coming down with something nasty. She couldn't help but smirk at the fact that Severus and Malfoy would be in exactly the same position as she was...when it came to her stomach contents anyway.

She decided that now would be a good time to go down to breakfast, and try and settle her ever gurgling stomach. She promptly tossed back the covers and padded over to the closet, which had been full of her new clothes, courtesy of Professor Dippet and the Board of Governers apparently. He had written letters to them the moment Hermione was _stable_ and requested a few hundred galleons to pay her way while she stayed. They had agreed, also sending some top line clothing as a welcome gift. It was one less thing to worry about, that was for sure.

She pulled back the door of the closet, selecting a white blouse, ocean coloured outer robes and high waisted black skirt for the day, with a matching pair of heels. She would have been much happier with a pair of sneakers, but the 1940's were short stocked on those. It took a little time to get used to walking in high heels, but after a few stumbles and maybe a sprained ankle, she made walking seem like a fine art. She glided with ease over to her vanity and sat before her mirror. Her hair was more of a mess than usual, an unfortunate amount of knots making it almost impossible to brush. Something had to be done about this if she was going to fit in here. She'd never really taken care of her appearance before. There had always been a Dark Lord, or a giant snake, or an escaped prisoner to take care of first, so she had left it and gone about her days with a birds nest sitting on top of her head. Now, she actually had time to take care of herself, and so she used a few spells and charms she had invented herself to take care of the problem, leaving her hair sleek and shiny in beautiful waves cascading down her back.

With her appearance dealt with, she moved swiftly out her door, invisibility cloak in hand, just in case, and made her way to the Great Hall. The house tables had one against been replaced in their usual spots, and it soon became apparent, as she looked over to the Slytherin table, that she wasn't the only early riser. Cygnus and Abraxus were seated on the far end, talking about something highly entertaining by the looks on their faces. When she entered, the two of them looked up and Cygnus waved her over with a wide smile on his face. Abraxus raised an eyebrow in amusement, yet unashamedly giving her a once over. They both stood when she joined them, a great contrast to what she had received yesterday from the Malfoy.

"Miss Evans," Cygnus greeted, brushing his lips over her knuckles.

"Mr Black," she greeted in turn, a small smile gracing her lips, "And Mr Malfoy I presume?"

"Correct," the blond nodded, repeating Cygnus' gesture, "A pleasure to meet the only woman who has ever irked the great Tom Riddle."

Her smile turned into a smirk and Abraxus raised an eyebrow at Cygnus who simply laughed. They all sat down to a feast of bacon and eggs, continuing to talk.

"We were just talking about you. I hope you don't mind," Cygnus told her, "We've never seen anyone, let alone a woman, stand up to Tom the way you did. _I_ think you just need to learn the rules where as _Abraxus_ seems to think you have a death wish."

"I believe our dear Mr Riddle is of the same opinion Mr Malfoy," she smiled, "He made it rather clear when he had his wand at my throat last night that he wouldn't tolerate any cheek."

The other two looked perplexed.

"And you're still standing?" Malfoy said in awe.

"It's a gift," she smiled back, "I had just come from a war, and was not about to bow down to some egotistical maniac who believed he owned the world."

They looked at each other in astonishment. Here was this woman, a _female_, someone who was supposed to be subordinate, obedient and catering to their every whim, looking to them as equals and telling them that she was ready for a fight at any minute. It truly was a first...in this time anyway.

Cygnus cleared his throat and spoke to her.

"I...don't know what sort of society you came from Miss Evans," he said carefully, "But it seems to be rather different from this one."

"You see not all women are willing to get into trouble, let alone trouble with Tom," Malfoy took over, "Don't get us wrong, we don't mind the change. To be honest, the whole obedient, catering to our every need, kind of witch does get boring after a while."

"What we're trying to say," Cygnus took over again, "Is that you may wish to be careful. Not every man in this castle is as...accepting as we are. The teachers may not take it so well either. Sure, Dippet, Slughorn and Dumbledore will let you do what ever you want. But people like Brindom and Callus are a little...shall we say...backwards."

She eyed them carefully for a moment and surmised that they were giving her a piece of advice rather than a warning. For that, she smiled again.

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind," she said softly, "Though it will not stop me from being myself."

Cygnus smiled and Abraxus smirked.

"We wouldn't expect anything less," Abraxus mused.

"Will we be expecting dear Riddle anytime soon?" She asked them and they both smirked.

"Tom isn't exactly a morning person," Cygnus told her, "I remember the last time we tried to wake him up early...He scorched the seat of my best trousers off and Alistair received several broken bones."

"I'm sorry but..."

"Alistair Nott," Abraxus took over, knowing exactly what she was thinking, "He was next to me last night. Tall lad, with light brown hair and eyes."

She remembered him quickly.

"Next to him down the line," he continued, "Was his best mate Rodolphus Lestrange. After that came the two trolls Crabbe and Goyle, then Mulciber. You might want to watch out for him. He's particularly talented with the bone breaker hex. Then right next to Tom was Brandon Dolhov. Also not one to cross."

She made mental notes as he spoke, taking in everything she could, remembering to submit the names to Severus and Draco when- Oh crap. Severus and Draco! She stood abruptly.

"I'm so sorry to cut this short," she said quickly, "I have some urgent things to attend to. Please excuse me."

Without even looking back at them, she ran out of the hall and all the way up to the seventh floor, stopping on the third in the kitchens to steal some toast, several spreads and a whole hand full of bacon. She walked in front of the space of wall three times and entered to look at a pair of rather disgruntled Slytherins.

"And at what point did you plan on feeding us?" Severus asked with a raised eyebrow, "Next week?"

"Forgive me if I became distracted by the mammoth task you gave me Severus," she quipped back, "Point is that I'm here now and you deserved it for yesterday anyway."

She walked over to the dining room table, laying out all that she had gotten them and sitting in one of the seats. It was then that she looked at them again. They no longer seemed disgruntled, but intrigued, or in Draco's case, entranced.

"What?" She asked them abruptly.

"Where did you get your attire?" Severus asked her curiously as he sat across from her.

"The lord giveth and the lord taketh away," she said dryly.

"What did you do to your hair?" Draco asked, smirking, "More importantly, why couldn't you take care of yourself like this in our time? I mean, you could have taken one for the team and given me something to look at during all those Order meetings. I might have actually paid attention if you were speaking."

She blushed slightly at his praise and turned away.

"Forgive me if personal appearance is not on my to do list when I have an evil lord and five of his horcruxs to destroy."

"You have an evil lord to destroy now."

"Now I have all the time in the world to do it. Which means I have all the time in the world for personal appearance."

Draco continued to stare at her while he was eating until Severus slapped him upside the head.

"Put your tongue back in your mouth you dunderhead," he growled and Hermione giggled a little.

"So how was dinner?" Draco finally asked.

"Interesting," she smirked, "I met your grandfather and several of the earliest death eaters."

He perked up a little when she mentioned his grandfather but Severus was more interested in other things.

"Was the Dark Lord there?" He asked her and she nodded, "What happened?"

"I more or less called him a mudblood," she said shyly.

Draco cringed at the name and Severus looked at her the same way Abraxus did.

"And you're still standing?" He asked her.

"Well I was rather subtle about it," she amended, "Though I'm sure he picked it up, none of the others did. Idiots, the lot of them."

Draco smirked again.

"I think I rather like this new Granger," he said coyly.

She glared at him.

"The point is that he threatened me afterwards and I bit straight back at him," she told the two of them, "The fact that he didn't kill me says that I've done something right, wouldn't you agree?"

Severus nodded, and Draco took a bite out of his toast.

"Apparently the witches around here are completely brainless trophy wives in the making," she continued, "With me added in the mix. Riddle is bound to notice a difference."

"And he is bound to investigate," Severus told her, caution written in his words, "You must be careful of every word you speak from here on out. You must be meticulous with every move you make, you must-"

"Yeah, yeah we get it Severus," Draco rolled his eyes, "She has to be careful. Save your first year potions speech for when we get back alright."

Severus sent him a death glare and he recoiled ever so slightly. He may not have been Draco's teacher any more, but he was still able to strike fear into his heart. Draco may have been allowed certain liberties, but like Hermione, he would always have to remember his palce.

"I take it you will be sorted tonight along with the first years?" Severus asked and she nodded, "Be prepared for a change of house."

"What? Why?"

"Because this plan may have altered your priorities and Gryffindor idiocy," he told her with a smirk.

"Gryffindors aren't idiots," she glared at him, "They're just...overly impulsive."

"Difference being?"

She glared at him.

"You can't even deny it," he smiled at her and Draco chuckled.

"I'm starting to think that saving the two of you was a big mistake," she grumbled and Draco laughed again.

"What are your plans for the day?" Severus asked her.

She looked at him perplexed.

"I thought _you_ might tell me that," she laughed slightly, "You _are_ the orchestrator of this master plan."

"You can't spend all your time spying," he told her firmly, "It took me seventeen years to learn that. You shouldn't have to take that long."

She thought about it for a moment and then looked back at them.

"Well I would say that I'd stay here, but look at who I have for company," she muttered and the two of them glared at her. Whether they would ever get along was beyond her.

"Well if you don't want to grace us with your presence," Draco said snidely, "What are you going to do?"

"Easy," she smiled, standing from her place and walking over to the door, "I'll go to the library."

Just as she walked out the door she couldn't help but hear Draco's remark.

"Bloody Bookworm."

She smirked and kept walking down the stone cold halls. Her heels clicked softly against the granite ground and she soon found herself in her own secret haven. Then again, the only reason it was secret was simply because the only time Ron or Harry set foot in the place was when they needed her help. Other than that, they did their best to stay away. Perhaps here would be different? She gave a polite nod to the librarian who gave her a kind smile and made her way to her favorite section on the founders...only to find that she wasn't alone.

Riddle stood there with the very book she wanted to read in his hands, skimming the pages carelessly, seeming as though he was barely taking any of the information in. She couldn't help but glare as he bended one of the corners and continued skimming. Such mistreatment in her time was grounds for being thrown out of the library. Indeed, as she looked at the other books in the section, they all had broken spines and leather tearing from their covers. She couldn't help but wonder if this was all _his_ doing, or simply practice in this era.

"Are you going to stand there and stare at me all day?" He suddenly asked, making her jump, "Or are you going to read something?"

"You happen to have the book I would like to read," she told him curtly.

"Then I guess you'll just be staring at me until I'm finished," he told her, still not even looking at her, "Don't worry, you won't look so out of place when the rest of the school arrives this afternoon. All the girls stare at me."

She snorted and he finally looked up.

"I hate to once again burst your bubble Mr Riddle, but I am not _staring_ at you," she said, folding her arms across her chest, "I'm _glaring_. There's a big difference. Besides, what are you even doing up? Your friends Mr Black and Mr Malfoy were most forth coming with information on your more..._violent_ sleeping habits."

He glared at her.

"It's none of your business Miss Evans," he said quietly, shoving the book in her hands, "And I'm done with this. It is completely useless."

It was then that opportunity arose.

"What are you looking for?" She asked him, trying to seem curious even though she didn't give a frog's liver what he was after.

"Once again," he told her, stepping almost uncomfortably close, "It is none of your business. Besides, what would _you_ know? You're a woman."

"And also a witch," she told him, almost defiantly, "A witch from a different country and a different living situation who may know something more than you do."

It was her logic that seemed to have him staring at her. Clearly the witches here were worse than she thought, otherwise he would be begging for her help by now. His piercing blue eyes scanned her face for any sign of deceit and it was only Severus' preparation that kept her from showing any. After a second or two, he stepped back.

"I highly doubt it," he almost whispered and made to walk out of the section. Unfortunately, Hermione followed him.

"And what makes you say that Mr Riddle?" She asked almost heatedly as they strode out of the founder's section and into the Transfiguration lot. He started to look through another book as they argued.

"Because as I said," he said, even more quietly than before, "You are a woman, and women by their very nature, are idiots."

"Want to bet on it?" She asked him casually, making him stop in his tracks.

He turned slowly, a blank expression on his face, where as she was smiling, almost smirking at him. He eyed her from head to toe, his thoughts not once strolling across his face. It bugged her that he was almost impossible to read. She would have to spend more time with him if she was going to be able to read him properly.

"What did you have in mind?" He asked her, his face still just as expressionless as his voice, and yet she knew she had him.

"For every class question you manage to answer correctly that I do not," She smiled at him, "I'll let you pick my brain for the five minutes in between classes or over lunch."

He rolled his eyes, his face suddenly turning bored.

"Which brings me back to my former statement," he drawled, "Women are idiots. You know far less than what I do."

"And what if I was to tell you that I know of the twelve uses of dragons blood?" She said confidently, "What if I told you that I've read _Hogwarts: A history_ at least ten times a year since the age of eleven? What if I told you I know things about magic that would make even your hair curl?"

"I would say that you are a liar," he said simply and began to walk away from her again until she grabbed him by the arm and swung him around.

"You can't call me a liar without proof Mr Riddle," she stated, staring him directly in the eye, "Do you really think that I would be stopping you from leaving if I didn't know how to defend myself? Do you think that I would have drawn my wand on you last night if I didn't know how to use it? I don't know what kind of women you are used to Mr Riddle, but I refuse to be subservient or weak. I am the smartest witch of my age where I come from and I intend to live up to that title."

In the quickest movement Hermione had ever seen, Riddle suddenly had her pinned against a book shelf, her hands stuck at her sides, his eyes leering at her as she glared straight back.

"You may be the smartest witch of your age," he growled at her, his anger finally reaching its peak, "But here that means nothing. You _will_ be subservient and you _are_ weak. That is your nature and you _will_ stick to it. I meant what I said last night Miss Evans, I will not tolerate insolence from you or anyone like you who thinks they can run around _my_ school with their noses in the air-"

"Then I suggest you remove the insolence," she glared back, "The cheek, the sarcasm and the cruelty from _yourself_, before you start looking at me."

She suddenly brought her knee up into his stomach and watched with a sort of sadistic pleasure as he backed away from her and clutched his gut, breathing heavily. She then had the sense to draw her wand and watch as he recovered quickly.

It was then that she smiled at him.

"My offer still stands," she told him, "If you ever wish to learn something you don't already know, you know where to find me."

With that, she strode out of the library, a small hint of satisfaction lining her lips. If that didn't interest him in her, she didn't know what would.


	5. Sortings and Stereotypes

**Hello Lovely Readers!**

**I know, it's been a while, but my entire mother board died on me last week and I lost EVERYTHING I had pre-written and had to start again. I'll update again when I can.**

**Disclaimer: Nothing of this beautiful world is mine and I have no claim to it what so ever.

* * *

**

Chapter five: Sortings and Stereotypes

Hermione clung onto the wall as soon as she was out of his sight and breathed in deep and long to calm herself down. She inwardly wondered if Riddle was one of these wizards who could smell fear and hoped to god that hers carried an indistinct odor. It was so hard to keep herself in check around him. Whether she was battling her fright or her misguided anger, she could never seem to keep a lid on her emotions when he came near. She wondered then what he might have done to her if she hadn't kneed him in the gut and shuddered at the thought. She also shuddered when she realized that she would have to be alone with him before the sorting when he came to retrieve her from her rooms.

After she had pulled herself back together, she slid back up the wall and made her way to her rooms, where she would stay for the rest of the day…

***

"Do you really think she's going to be able to do this?"

Severus and Draco were once again in a heavy argument in the Room of Requirement. This time the subject was not Quidditch or potions or some monotonous punishment that Severus had given or _been_ given at school. It was their mission.

"As long as she has us to guide her, she should be fine," Severus answered his blond companion.

"It's not the tutoring that I'm worried about Severus," Draco told him, taking a seat beside his mentor, "Merlin knows she's got the manipulation thing hands down. If she can get away with calling him a mudblood, she can get away with anything."

Severus was now intrigued. He put down the book that he was reading and scrutinized the man, his brow low in concentration.

"Then what are you concerned about," he asked him quietly.

"Whether she's going to be able to handle him," Draco sighed, "You know what he can do to people. She may be a primed up, prissy, little goody two shoes, bookworm, but not even her stubbornness could match his."

"She is a good person Draco-"

"Severus," Draco pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration, "She may be good, but she's not _that_ good. You know as well as I do that there's evil in the world and _then _there's Tom Riddle. He's in a league of his own. He tortures, he kills, he manipulates _and he destroys_. That's exactly what he will do to her if we're not careful. He will rip her to shreds and build her into something else…something we don't want."

There was a short pause in which Severus started to see a new side to the young man before him. His mother's death had affected him greatly, that much was obvious, but where this caring side had come from, Severus would never know. Whether Draco would admit it or not, he cared for Hermione…whether _Severus_ would admit it or not, he cared for her too. But there was one difference…

"I have faith in her," he replied, "You said that there was evil, and there was Tom Riddle. The same should be said for her. There is goodness and there is Hermione Granger. She stuck by Potter until the very end, she watched others decline into chaos and helped them through it and she has constantly put others ahead of herself. You saw her at night back in our own time. She drank herself to sleep to stop herself from falling apart, not for herself, but for the idiots she served. She's selfless, she's brave and she's a Slytherin at heart."

That last bit caught Draco off guard. He had never once thought of her as conniving or ambitious. Severus seemed to notice his skepticism.

"I guarantee you that she'll be in Slytherin Draco," he smirked, "I wouldn't have chosen her if I didn't think she could manage the change."

Draco's face suddenly split into a grin too.

"Care to put your galleons where your mouth is?" He asked, stretching his hand forth to the older man, "She's too anal to change Snape."

Snape suddenly grinned.

"I accept."

***

Hermione sat inside her rooms waiting for Riddle to arrive. She had been trying to decide for the last half an hour how to wear her hair. It marveled her how much free time she had to do this now that she wasn't in direct mortal danger. Normally she would just slap it in a pony tail and go and kick some Death Eater behind, but now that the Death Eaters weren't after her (yet) she had all the time in the world. She contemplated leaving it down in waves as she had for the day, but that would prove complicated if she got some food in it. She could put it in a plait, but it never sat in a straight part when she did that. She could tie it in a pony tail for old time's sake, but that was just so boring to her now. It was then that the answer came to her. She waved her wand at her head, muttered a few spells and watched as her hair weaved delicately into an elegant French braid.

"Practical and it still looks nice," she said to herself, almost smiling.

She ventured over to her closet and searched for a set of school robes. Unfortunately for her, her regular school shoes had once more been swapped for a pair of high heels. It was no longer a problem to walk in them, but it did make her slightly uncomfortable. She slipped everything on and waited for all of five minutes for Riddle to turn up. He absolutely hammered on her door and she had to calm herself down for several minutes before she found the courage to open it for him. He simply stared at her as she ventured out into the corridor, choosing to close her door and magically lock it without looking away from him, a scowl littered all over her features.

"Ready to go?" She asked him, a silent challenge issued with her words.

He didn't offer an answer, but simply grabbed her by the arm and started tugging her along the corridor down to the Great Hall. She tried to resist his pull slightly, but if anything, he was physically stronger than her. Eventually, she simply fell into line with him instead, deciding that he could have this one at least and she matched his pace the entire way. He then brought her down to the front entrance and stood her in front of the great oak doors, hands on either of her shoulders, squeezing painfully. Hermione made a face but managed not to scream from the pressure he was applying.

"You will wait here until your name is called," he said to her quietly, coldly, his face an impassive mask of nothingness, "You will not move, you will not make a sound and you will not disturb the ceremony. Is that understood?"

"Why would I disturb the ceremony?" She asked, her face quite bitter and just as cold.

He didn't answer her. He instead slipped inside the hall and back to his seat at the Slytherin table. She immediately knew what he was on about when he said that all the girls stared at him. Just before the doors closed, she witnessed several girls, both younger and older and even the sole female staff member, stare at him all dreamy eyed and stupid. Hermione couldn't help but scoff and wonder who the hell the head girl was, hoping that she could replace them within a month and get this place running how it should be.

About half an hour passed as she stood pacing in that hall, wondering when the hell they were going to call for her. They had already sorted the first years and now Dippet was giving his start of term speech. It couldn't be too long now.

"And now I would ask for one final moment of your time," she heard him chorus. Her moment had come, "Behind those doors is one last student to be sorted. She has come a long way, from the front lines of the war," at that, many murmurings broke out and Dippet had to ask for silence again, "She has a troubled past and has been traumatized by her experiences. I must ask that you do not pester her for information and that you make her feel as welcome as possible. And thus, I give you Hermione Evans."

Hermione took that as her cue and stood stock still with her hands behind her back, her head held high and a look of purist dignity on her face. She glided in like a conqueror with the grace of a goddess and the expression of an ice queen. Something that the entire hall, staff included, were not expecting. Today, she was going to show Tom Riddle and the rest of this world what she was made of.

She walked to the front of the room, a small bow to the staff table, where a few were returned immediately, others stood there in stunned shock and some simply sneered at her. She then sat upon the stool in front of her and allowed the hat to be placed on her head.

The hat immediately began to speak.

_Miss Granger this certainly is a surprise. I don't believe I've ever had a time traveler before._

Hermione froze slightly but then decided to speak back.

_How do you know that?_ She thought back at it,_ I'm pretty sure that-_

_It's all here in your head Miss Granger. Your thoughts, your memories. I have access to everything you've ever seen, everything you've ever felt._

Well, it at least made sense.

_But that is not the issue here is it? _It continued, _where shall I put you today? Hufflepuff would be much too tame for someone of such life and dreams and all though Ravenclaw would welcome you with open arms, I feel that your academic career is not as important as other traits you have. Unfortunately, this leaves me with a very difficult choice. Two houses, so different yet so alike and only one can be your home._

_How on earth is that difficult?_ She asked it, starting to get frustrated. _I'm a Gryffindor, through and through. I always have been. I'm brave and loyal and chivalrous-_

_And cunning,_ it cut her off_, and ambitious and once this plan is complete, you won't feel the same again. Face it Miss Granger, you have more Slytherin in you than you care to acknowledge._

:"I do not," she huffed aloud, causing some of the hall to giggle a bit.

_Oh yes you do,_ the hat chimed, _Far more. Making Polyjuice potion in your second year? Springing a convicted murderer from a fate worse than death? Writing 'SNITCH' in blemishes all over a girl's face-_

_That Polyjuice potion was necessary, _she defended herself. _That man was innocent and that girl definitely deserved it. And besides, I'm a mudblood, remember?_

_Your blood status may have been important to Salazar had you not possessed so many qualities that he loved about his students. What about the D.A? That was one brilliant piece of cunning using the enchanted coins. And what about keeping information from the rest of the Order? They would not listen to you and so you didn't bother to try. When you entered your seventh year, you formed alliances with Slytherins and felt far more comfortable with them than you ever did with the Gryffindors. I think you know what is going to happen now Miss Granger. There is no denying where you belong._

_There is every denying where I belong! _She mentally roared at it,_ I've been a Gryffindor all my life! How can I suddenly be a Slytherin!_

_You are what we call a snake in lion's clothing Miss Granger, _it chuckled, _There aren't many of you, but there are some. I do hope you have fun learning the secrets of Mr. Riddle. I have to say, that is one mind I wouldn't mind picking once more._

With that, it closed the mental gap between the two of them, leaving Hermione in a state of mental shock as it shouted to the rest of the hall "SLYTHERIN!"

The Slytherin table, most of them being male, cheered at her as she joined them, pretending to be very happy with what the sorting hat had given her. Cygnus in particular came up to her and gave her a kiss on the cheek before guiding her down to sit between himself and Malfoy, opposite Riddle who was in just as much shock as she was by the look on his face.

As she gazed around the rest of the table during the feast, she realized that there were only four girls altogether that were in Slytherin. One she definitely recognized as Eileen Prince, mother of one of her favorite Slytherins. They were all huddled up together in a little group at the end of the table, conversing more than likely, about her. Hermione hoped that she might be able to find at least one friend among them. She needed friends in this time, more than anything.

"So I guess we will be seeing a lot more of you Miss Evans," Cygnus smiled at her.

"I guess so Mr. Black," she smiled back. It was then that she knew, if she had no one else, she had him. But her eyes then wondered over to Tom, who was still staring at her with muted shock. It was almost like she had grown a second head or something. It was then that an idea came to her.

"Are you going to stare at me all day Mr. Riddle, or are you going to eat something?"

When he caught on to what she had just said he glared at her and turned his face to the food that was laid before him. He didn't look at her again for the rest of the night, and that suited her just fine. She lapsed into easy chatter with Cygnus and Abraxus, looking around the room every now and then, sometimes seeing things that almost brought tears to her eyes. Over at the Gryffindor table, she saw relatives of the Weasley family, some relation of Harry's, Augusta Straus, soon to be Longbottom, down the end and even someone who looked like a Lovegood. Towards the end of Hufflepuff, she could see one of the Abbots, a girl who was definitely Chang and there were definitely a few Smiths around the place; that was for sure. She could see others in Ravenclaw, such as a pair of twins that definitely had a resemblance to the Patil twins of her time and that was almost enough to drive her over the edge. Seeing all these familiar faces that she wouldn't be able to interact with, simply because of what house she was in was excruciating, unless by some miracle the rules had changed since her time. They were out of bounds, and it sucked.

When all had finished eating, Cygnus and Malfoy stood at the same time and each offered her their arms. Hermione looked down the line to the group of girls and saw that they were being offered the same thing and seemed quite happy about it. After all, she didn't want to step on anybody's toes. She took their arms and stood to leave with them, noting that the other houses were not following suit. Cygnus noticed her confusion.

"It's a Slytherin custom," he told her quietly, "We each look after our own and there's no sense in being impolite. The other houses don't see it the way we do."

"That much is obvious Mr. Black," she said, still not taking her eyes off of the others in the room.

They led her down through the dungeons, Tom leading the way, seeing as they had a few first year boys to show the way as well as Hermione herself. He gave them the password in a courteous fashion, telling them that if they had any questions that he was more than willing to answer them and that they could do what they liked until nine when they had to be in bed. Hermione tried her best not to laugh at his fake sincerity, but she still had to cough a few times to cover it up. It ended up sounding like a very good imitation of Umbridge.

When they entered, Hermione stood still from shock. The contrast to the Gryffindor rooms was astounding. Green and silver lining every surface as well as the green tinge from the lake above, leather couches in place of fluffy armchairs and cold stone walls of various grays. It should have frightened her, it should have made her want to scream and run away in disgust…yet she felt completely at home. When a small fleck of light caught her eye, she looked up to see the largest stained glass window she had ever seen, the lake clearly visible through it, a serpent painted on its surface with a giant silver ring around its neck.

"It's magnificent isn't it?" Someone asked from behind her.

She turned around to see Eileen Prince staring up at it with her.

"I remember when I first entered this room," she continued, "Feeling for the first time that I was home, like nowhere else could make me feel so happy. Do you feel that now?"

Hermione didn't know what to say, and so she simply nodded. They both turned away from the window and looked at each other.

"My name is Eileen," she smiled.

"Hermione," she smiled back.

"You're seventh year aren't you?" She asked, "You'll be up with me and the others. Say goodnight to Cygnus and Abraxus and I'll take you up there."

The direct kindness with which she treated her threw Hermione off completely. So used to Slytherins being unkind and cruel and malicious, she was expecting to find the same here. It was certainly new. However she did as she was told and ventured over to where two of her favorite Slytherins were standing, deep in conversation.

"Eileen is taking me up stairs," she told them with a smile, "I thought I would come and say goodnight."

"It is lovely to see another woman join our house," Abraxus said to her as he brushed his lips by her knuckles and Cygnus did the same, "I was beginning to think that we were scaring you all off."

"I don't think there's any chance of you scaring me off Mr. Malfoy," she smiled at them, "I'll see you in the morning."

With that, she walked up to her new dormitory with Eileen just in front and the other girls just behind, all the boys watching them go. Hermione found it a little unusual that they were all headed in the same place and one of the other girls, a younger one, picked up on it.

"There are so few of us that when we all arrived, we just chose to stick together," she told her, "It just makes more sense than having entire dormitories to ourselves don't you think?"

Hermione nodded in agreement and quickly followed Eileen into their rooms which were much like that of her Gryffindor dormitory, except with a few color changes.

"Your bed is over there," one of the others smiled, pointing to the four-poster by the bathroom.

"I guess we had better start introductions," Eileen smiled at them all, beckoning them to join her either on her bed or beside it, "As you know Hermione, I'm Eileen," she said when they all sat down, "I came here in my first year and I'm now in my seventh. This little blond bundle is Amelia Parkinson," she indicated the girl next to her who was anything but blond. Like her future granddaughter, Amelia had dark hair and blue eyes with a slight pug nose. Unlike her granddaughter however, she was strikingly beautiful with high cheek bones and a figure to die for.

"I came a year after Eileen," she smiled, "I was so scared when I saw there was only one girl, but you soon get used to the attention from the boys."

"Most of them," Eileen snorted and the others laughed, Hermione along with them, knowing exactly who they were on about.

"I'm Christa Jones," a third year smiled up at her, "My twin sister Hestia is in Gryffindor. It really is hard now that we're separated. I guess I picked up on the cunning gene and she got the brave."

"Both noble things to have," Hermione smiled and the little girl smiled back, her big brown eyes shining with approval as her deer brown ringlets swished from side to side.

"My name is Druella Rosier," the last one said, her voice colder than the others, a mark of a Slytherin that Hermione finally recognized; jealousy.

"Ignore her," Eileen said, "She's just jealous because you're so close with Cygnus."

"I am not," Druella proclaimed, her skin reddening anyway, her green eyes sparkling with embarrassment, "I want nothing to do with him."

"Oh please," Christa rolled her eyes, "Ever since he kissed you under the missile toe last year, you haven't been able to take your eyes off him."

"And ever since he started chasing Gryffindors you've been more sour than a whole magic carpet load of lemons," Eileen laughed.

Hermione knew exactly what that felt like, having to watch the one you love chase after another girl and then snogging them in an arm chair while you watched, trying as hard as you could not to throw a bout of canaries at them but failing when he catches you on your own. It's horrible.

"If it makes you feel any better," Hermione smiled at her, "I have no interest in him what so ever."

"How could you not?" Druella suddenly burst out, then covering her mouth in embarrassment. The others all laughed.

"I could probably put in a good word for you Druella," she smiled again, "That's if you want me to."

"You would do that?" She asked.

"Of course."

She was suddenly engulfed by sleek black hair and a heavy yet slender body, Druella's coldness having evaporated within an instant. It was odd to feel so comfortable, especially with a very excited and giggling Slytherin on top of her. But Hermione had never felt more at home. And putting in a word for Druella to Cygnus wasn't going to alter anything too dramatically. She had seen Druella Rosier connected to Cygnus on the Black family tree. What was more startling as the conversation went on, Hermione noticed that not one of these girls were as Riddle had described. Each of them had ambition, each of them had dreams and each of them was definitely smarter than the average witch. How he could think of these girls as idiots, Hermione would never know, considering Eileen was already top of the class at potions, surpassing even Riddle. As they lapsed into conversations of classes, she could tell that she was going to have a hard time, not just beating Riddle, but beating Eileen as well, seeing as she was the only Slytherin girl in Hermione's year.

"You're nothing like I thought you would be," Hermione suddenly blurted out to all of them, making them confused, "I only mean that Riddle made you all seem like prim and prissy housewives in the making."

"That's what the rest of them are like," Druella rolled her eyes, "Sure, they show signs of brilliance every now and then, but not _one_ of them have any independence. It's down right disgusting."

"But even Cygnus and Abraxus-"

"Haven't paid attention to us since we were in first year and only see us for what we are when we're drunk," Eileen told her, "They think of us as sisters and always will."

"Speak for yourself," Druella scoffed and they all laughed.

When midnight hit, they all climbed into their own beds, leaving Hermione's head spinning with more questions than what she came with, her mind buzzing to the point of insanity. But she was tired, and within minutes of resting her head on her silver pillow and covering her body with green sheets, her eyes closed and she slipped into a peaceful slumber for the first time since she arrived.


	6. Firsts

**Hello Lovely Readers!**

**I hope you enjoy reading this chapter as much as I loved writing it. I love making up criminal records! And please tell me what's going on inside your heads people! Reviews are a writer's best friend!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of this wonderful magical world.**

* * *

Chapter Six: Firsts

She woke the next morning, well rested and feeling almost happy for the first time in months. It had been the first time in a while that she had been able to sleep without resorting to potions or alcohol. That was bound to recharge someone's batteries. She moved from her bed and grabbed a set of clean robes and heals as well as a towel and several cleaning products and made her way to the bathroom.

It was luxuriously tiled in black obsidian with silver lining and emerald tap heads. The bath tub was huge and the sink already had an array of moisturizers and gels ready for her to use. She soaked in the tub for what seemed like hours, loosening her muscles and freeing her mind, until Christa finally came in.

"Hermione, you're going to miss breakfast at this rate," she smiled, handing her a towel, "Cygnus and Abraxus are waiting for you downstairs."

"Do they always hang around like lost puppies?" Hermione couldn't help but ask.

"Always," she laughed, "Before you came, they used to wait for a girl from Gryffindor. Boy is she going to get a shock this morning."

Hermione couldn't help but laugh with her before she finished getting dressed. She hated stepping on people's toes, but if these girls were like the others had described, then she was definitely going to have some fun with this.

She met the boys with a smile on her face, her hair tied back in a bun with a few strands framing her face and her clothes freshly pressed and washed.

"My goodness Miss Evans," Cygnus stepped forward, a charming crooked smile stretched across his lips, "You've always looked lovely but today you look absolutely ravishing."

"You have to stop flattering me Mr. Black," she replied, a small smirk on her lips, "I'm blushing."

"If it were anyone else Miss Evans I would tell him to stop being so cheesy, however I feel that today his compliments are justified," Abraxus told her, honesty penetrating his words, "I have to say that green is definitely your color."

Her blush deepened and she looked away from them with a slight giggle. She wasn't used to receiving such compliments about her appearance. It was definitely new ground. Not even Harry or Ron had ever paid such attention to her before and considering that Ron had been her partner at the time that was saying something. They walked swiftly along the halls of Hogwarts, chatting amiably about up coming classes and professors.

"Brindom teaches Herbology," Cygnus told her as they drew up to the hall, "He's rather partial towards getting the ladies to help. It's only so he can try and look up their skirts or to lay his hands on them. We do our best to keep Eileen out of the way but it doesn't always work."

"Callus takes Ancient Runes," Abraxus told her as they sat at the Slytherin table, opposite Tom once more, this time, the girls on either side of the boys rather than huddled up at the back, "He's very hard on the witches in his class. If you make a mistake, he will punish you for it dearly."

"He made me clean the dungeons out for a month because I mistranslated ewoz," Amelia rolled her eyes, "And he won't call on any of the girls for answers either."

"Of course it doesn't help that half of them don't _have_ the answers," Christa snorted.

"And the ones that do are too wrapped up in being little trophies that they don't volunteer them anyway," Hermione concluded, nodding with them, "There is something seriously wrong with this school."

"Did you ever consider that there may be something wrong with you?" Riddle asked her, almost pleasant as he read the _Daily Prophet_, "That maybe the school and how it operates is fine and _you_ are just an anomaly?"

"Did _you_ ever consider that there was something wrong with _you_ Mr. Riddle?" Hermione shot back, clearly irritated by this point, "That maybe your perspective shapes the school's and that _you_ are the one with the problem? I guarantee you anything Mr. Riddle, if you were to start paying attention to the female talent that's around you; the rest of the school would as well, including the talent themselves."

The entire Slytherin table held its breath as they watched the two glare at each other. They all knew of Tom's temper and were waiting for it to burst forth and swallow her whole. He was about to give her a murderous reply when Slughorn came bounding up the line with a wide smile on his face. If Tom hadn't heard his booming voice, he would have kept his scowl, as such; he replaced it with a charming smile as he looked up at his teacher.

"Good morning Professor," he said cheerily as the man came to s stop before them.

"Good morning Tom!" He boomed, "I trust you've had a lovely morning so far? I have to say that your schedule is once more _very_ impressive. Though I must ask, why are you dropping Divination? You used to enjoy it so much."

"I find myself needing to prioritize Professor," he smiled up at him as he was handed his timetable, "Divination just isn't all that high on my to-do list this year."

"Fair enough m'boy, fair enough," Slughorn laughed, "Ah, and Miss Evans! Lovely to have you join us in Slytherin. I see you've already made some friends, so that certainly saves awkward introductions. I must say that the classes you've taken are quite extensive. If you need any help adjusting, please feel free to ask."

"I'll keep that in mind Professor, but I don't believe I'll need all that much help," she smiled as he handed over her timetable, "I was supposed to start _teaching_ back home, so taking these classes again should be easy."

Slughorn walked away with a strange smirk on his face while all the others looked at her in shock. Riddle simply rolled his eyes though.

"She's lying you idiots," he said quietly while Hermione simply smirked at him.

"Believe what you want to believe Mr. Riddle," she sighed, "But you may wish to consider whether there's any proof to that accusation."

She could still feel their eyes on her as she ate her breakfast but chose to ignore them and let them wonder at her. She could even tell that Riddle was contemplating her at that very moment, simply by the way his eyes ceased to move over the _Daily Prophet_ and a frown creased his brow ever so slightly. It was just those little things that gave him away, and only to her. Everyone else was either to wrapped up in her conversation with Slughorn or they were to frightened to even look at him. When the time came, Hermione made her way on her own to her first class of Transfiguration and sat in a desk at the back by the window, waiting for the rest of the seventh years to turn up.

"Good morning Miss Evans," a voice said from behind her. Hermione turned to see the kind blue eyes of Professor Dumbledore staring down at her, gleaming beneath his half moon spectacles, his auburn beard shining in the morning light.

"Good morning Professor…" she smiled back at him.

"Dumbledore my dear," he told her, shaking her hand, "I am the head of Gryffindor and Deputy Headmaster here."

"It is very nice to meet you sir," she told him.

"I wonder, may I speak with you privately after class?" He asked her suddenly, "You are most certainly not in trouble. I only wish to see how far your tutelage in Transfiguration has gone. Professor Slughorn tells me that you were scheduled to teach back at your former home…where was that again?"

"Italy sir," she smiled, "My father was English and received his education here. He tutored me so that I would be able to tutor others. I started a year earlier than most."

She could almost kiss Severus for the cover stories he had given her.

"I see," the man smiled again, "Until after the lesson my dear."

With that, he walked to the front of the room and began to teach. It was then that Hermione noticed that Abraxus was sitting next to her, a small scowl on his face. Just in front of her, Eileen had taken her place next to Cygnus and just in front of them was Tom and the rest of his friends.

"What's the matter Mr. Malfoy?" She whispered to him.

"Dumbledore is going to warn you away from us," he told her carefully, "Tom in particular. He's never liked him."

"I can't say that I like him much either," she smirked.

"This is different," he told her pointedly, "Dumbledore is very much to Tom what Callus is to all the witches in the castle, only he's subtle about it. He's had it out for him since the beginning."

"Well it's not as if Mr. Riddle doesn't deserve it," she muttered.

Abraxus turned to look at her in confusion. Perhaps Tom hadn't divulged his plans to his little gang of followers yet? No, Abraxus was just being a sneaky Slytherin, playing dumb to find out what she knew. Draco had tried it with her on numerous occasions. But the question was why? She surreptitiously turned her attention to the back of Tom's head and rolled her eyes. Of course.

She sighed and then explained.

"Riddle is evil," she told him, "You and I both know it Mr. Malfoy, and you can not deny it."

"There isn't any good or evil in this world Miss Evans," he smirked at her, "Only power and those strong enough to use it."

"And those careless enough to exploit it," she shot back.

A slight tilt of Tom's head near the front told Hermione all she needed to know. He was definitely listening in and this was a well planted act. How could she have been so stupid not to suspect Abraxus? He was one of Tom's most trusted followers, how could she have been so blind? How many other conversations with Abraxus and even Cygnus had been staged? She had always known that Riddle would keep tabs on her, what she didn't realize was how fast it would happen.

"Care to explain?" Abraxus smiled at her.

She looked at him sideways then, telling him that he had been found out.

"If you're so smart, you figure it out."

Abraxus knew it wasn't directed at him and his smile widened. No offence taken obviously.

They continued on with the lesson, paring off to perform human transfiguration and remember the basic principles of last year. Hermione changed Abraxus' hair from blond to red, made his nose a lovely imitation of Snape's and turned his arms into canary wings, just to show off. He managed to make her hair go black and made one of her eyes blue, thus proving that he at least wasn't an idiot. Hermione turned her head to the front once more after she had finished righting herself and saw that Riddle had done almost as much as she had. He had made Goyle go bald, turned his legs into crutches and had made his lips so small to the point where you could no longer see them. If it weren't for the vanishing charm that had been used on Goyle's hair, she would have marked him right up there with her own work. What she didn't expect to see, was Eileen struggling. Their conversation the night before had been so intelligent and had made her confident in the girl's abilities, however now that she saw her put all her knowledge into practice, Hermione was disappointed. She had managed to give Cygnus a tail of sorts, but that was about it. It was very despairing.

"Very good Miss Evans," Dumbledore smiled as he wondered their way, "I must say that I am quite partial to that yellow. Ten points to Slytherin."

Abraxus gave her a broad smile in his red hair and Snape nose and flapped his canary wings wildly in praise. She couldn't help but collapse in a fit of giggles like the rest of the class. Even Tom smirked, though he rolled his eyes to compensate. Who knew that Malfoys had a sense of humor? At the end of the class, Hermione stayed behind and waited for Dumbledore to clear his things. He then beckoned her into his office and sat her down at his desk.

"Lemon drop Miss Evans?"

"No thank you Professor," she smiled and politely declined.

"I am sorry to have deceived you Miss Evans, but I was afraid that your friends may have tried to stop you if I had given you my real reasons for asking you here this morning," he apologized and Hermione was instantly wary. She hadn't forgotten what Dumbledore had done to Harry, nor what Severus had to say about it.

"If you do not wish to discuss my learning," she asked, "What is it you want to talk about Professor?"

"Your choice of friends Miss Evans," he sighed, closing his eyes in thought, "I realize what you must be thinking. That those you have chosen to confide in and trust are worthy and have qualities that make them so, however, I hope I am not being too bold, you are wrong."

She scrutinized him and hoped that he was _only_ talking about Tom and not any of the others. After all, with the amount of time that she had spent with Tom in the beginning, people were bound to think that they were at least friends. Dumbledore pulled out several files from a draw and laid them on the desk before them. Picking one up, he began to read.

"Mr. Abraxus Malfoy," he recited, "Fifty four detentions for theft and extortion, one suspension for threatening a teacher with his wand and several illegal and highly dangerous potions."

He tossed the file to her and picked up another.

"Mr. Cygnus Black. Forty five detentions for theft, threatening other students and general rule breaking. One suspension for the same incident with Mr. Malfoy and also a hearing with the Wizenagmot for almost killing a student with Basalisk venom. He was let go on grounds of reasonable doubt."

He picked up another.

"Eileen Prince. Sixty seven detentions for general rule breaking, two suspensions for misuse of potions and she was almost expelled for running a black market in the castle for illegal substances such as Pure Magic Mushrooms, Toad acid and Asphodel pills."

"What do Asphodel pills do?" Hermione suddenly asked, having heard of the other two wizarding drugs but not the third.

"It's like a longer lasting version of the muggle drug ecstasy," he explained before tossing her the file.

"Christa Jones. Only a third year and she's had double the detentions of Mr. Black for various reasons. You will find that Miss Jones has been found responsible for blackmail against staff, violence towards other students, extortion, fraud and also trying to feed first years to the giant squid."

Hermione began to read the file as he picked up another.

"Druella Rosier," he continued, "Not so many detentions here, but with Miss Rosier it is more about quality than quantity. Her most recent suspension was for tying a second year to a tree that was infested with Doxies."

He tossed her that file and put his hands together.

"As you can see Miss Evans, these children are very troubled," he told her, "They have brought nothing but destruction since the moment they walked into this school and have infected all those they come in contact with, with their violent and dissolute ways. I would hate for you to fall victim to their charms. Someone of such intelligence and potential should not go to waste."

She sat mute listening to him as her eyes continued to scan over the files.

"But the most dangerous of these can not be found in a criminal file," he continued, packing the folders up once more when she was done, "It is the ones that have not been caught that are the most dangerous."

He then proceeded to pull out several other files. These ones were originals and hand written, obviously Dumbledore's personal records.

"Brandon Dolhov," he said, handing her the file, "I suspected him of lighting the hospital wing on fire during his third year, yet my suspicions were ignored due to lack of evidence. I know it seems like I was targeting him without sufficient proof, however mere hours before, I had found him practicing the Incendio charm in conjunction with the vanishing charm, which would erase all evidence of his presence there, mere hours before the fire with Mr. Riddle. Seven students with prior injuries had to be sent to St. Mungos for further treatment. Some were permanently scarred."

He tossed her his notes and picked up another pile.

"Gareth Mulciber," he continued, "I found him in a deserted corridor with Mr. Riddle practicing the bone breaker hex one evening and from the looks of the animals that he was using as subjects, the cruciatus curse was used as well. The very next morning, a girl by the name of Terri Hatchet was found on the third floor with twenty three broken bones and she had been sexually assaulted. My suspicions were once again ignored due to lack of evidence. Do you see the connection between these cases, both official and…suspicious?"

"Tom Riddle," she said confidently, 'They are all connected to him in one way or another."

"Yes," he inclined his head, pulling out the largest hand written file of all and placing it in front of her, "Tom Riddle. Not a detention in his life, not a mark on his name, head boy and still he will be one of the most dangerous people you will meet in your life time. I have seen circumstantial evidence of blackmail, manipulation, extortion, fraud, petrifaction, and impersonation, illegal trafficking of magical substances, torture and even murder by his hands. I have yet to prove that any of my suspicions are true, but I'm sure you get the idea."

She followed Dumbledore's notes with her eyes and believed every word of it. The entire file just screamed 'Lord Voldemort, well and truly present!' It was a very discomforting notion and yet very reassuring. Sure, it was going to be a hell of a lot harder than she thought to try and complete the mission, but at least she knew that she was in the right place for the information she would need.

"Miss Evans," the old man continued, "I would not normally warn students away from one another, especially those of the same house, however I have seen all those who come into contact with Tom Riddle go down a very dangerous path. I do not wish to see this happen to you. You have been through so much and fought for so long...do not put all that to waste now when you have come so far."

She gave one last glance down at the file and then looked back up at Dumbledore, remembering everything about the old man that she had loved and loathed. Severus had been right, he had always been single minded when it had come to Harry. Perhaps it was the same with Riddle too. She knew that everything that he had said about him was correct, however the people around him like Eileen and Abraxus and Cygnus and even Christa? It just seemed so improbable. Could it have been possible for Dumbledore to simply label them before he got to know them? Like he was trying to stop himself from doing to Hermione? Those records may have been official for Cygnus, Abraxus, Christa, Druella and Eileen; however there were no explanations behind the detentions. No stories given as reasons for their actions. Those crisp yellow pieces of parchment made them seem like maniacs wondering the halls. Hogwarts never kept maniacs, so if all of these accusations were true, there had to be some reason as to why they did it. She could understand the general rule breaking and even the violence, they were Slytherins after all, they had to break rules every now and then. But even the underground drug ring had to have a reason behind it.

Hermione suddenly stood and gave the deputy headmaster what she thought was a look of concerned gratitude, if there even was such a look.

"Thank you for this talk Professor," she said to him, being careful to keep her voice as neutral as possible, "I can assure you that I will make my decisions carefully with what you have shared with me in mind."

He gave her what appeared to be a sad smile, feeling that he had failed in his quest to save her. She couldn't leave him empty handed after everything he had shared with her, she just couldn't. He had gone to such an effort to keep this school safe, such an effort to try and keep her safe. He may be single minded, but his heart certainly wasn't. She laid her hand over the top of his, making him look up at her as she smiled at him.

"Just so you know Professor," she smiled, "I never liked Riddle anyway. You aren't the only one who sees him for what he is."

With that, she exited the office, leaving the wary Professor with a relieved smile on his face. She made her way out into the hall and-

"What did you mean before?"

She whipped around to her left and then the right where she saw Riddle leaning against the wall waiting for her. She sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Shouldn't you be in class?" She asked him.

"I'm head boy," he told her, rolling his eyes, "I have a pass to wonder the halls as I please. Even during classes."

She huffed and continued walking, knowing full well that he would follow.

"What did you mean when you said, 'and those careless enough to exploit it'? You never did explain."

"As I said before," she snipped, "_You're_ so smart, _you_ don't think a woman is worth your time, _you_ figure it out. And on that note, why are you even talking to me? I can't stand you and you think I'm scum on the bottom of your shoe."

"If I tell you, will you answer me?" He asked, feeling irritated by her constant questioning.

She stopped walking and considered him for a moment and then nodded, seeing as her answer could possibly help her in her mission to gain his attention.

"There is one difference between you and the rest of the women in this place," he said quietly, his face still impassive, "You actually have a brain."

"If you cared to look around you, you would see that Eileen and Christa and Druella Amelia all have brains too and are worth far more than your time," she said hotly, becoming irritated again.

"And if _you_ cared to look around you, you would see that they don't have nearly the same brain as you do," he shot back, "Eileen only managed to change Cygnus' eye color during the entire session and you made Abraxus grow wings. The only subject that she could ever compete with me in would be potions and that's a stretch. All the Slytherin women may be free thinking, but that's all they can do."

All though she hated it with every fiber of her being, she had to admit that he was right. Eileen was nothing of what she had expected.

"They have all the knowledge there," he continued, "But they could never put it into practice. Eileen has read all of her text books at least twice before the year starts, every year since she first arrived, and the only place she can ever make a difference is potions. Her magic is faulty."

"It's not her magic," Hermione told him, "It's her confidence. She's not expected to do anything great by anybody, therefore, how is she supposed to accomplish the impossible without any support? Give her time, some proper encouragement and get certain teachers off her back and she will out shine _anyone_ who comes her way."

There was a small pause as they looked at each other, Hermione full of determination, Riddle full of disdain. No matter what he said, she always had an answer. Without warning, he pulled her by the wrist into the nearest empty classroom and locked the door. She went to go and yell at him, but before she could get a word in, he cut across her.

"I've explained myself," he stated.

"No you haven't," she hissed at him, "You've told me that I have a brain, which I already know."

"_And now I know too_," he said through gritted teeth, "For someone so smart you can be incredibly dense."

Despite his insult, she had to smirk at him.

"So you finally believe that I might know something you don't," she stated smugly, her smirk widening as he glared at her.

"You're turn," he suddenly said, "Explain what you meant."

She sighed and walked up to him, so that they were only three feet apart. She looked up at him, her smirk gone as a serious explanation was about to be had.

"You are one of these people who believe themselves to be incapable of error. You're arrogant, you're stubborn and you will bow to no one. You are your own boss and you aren't going to let anyone tell you otherwise. Of course, you want to be everyone _else's_ boss too, so you charge on through life with this master plan of ruling the world," he looked shocked and appalled that she could know so much about him and she scoffed, "Oh don't look so shocked. A moment ago, you discovered I had a brain, don't be so stupid as to think that I don't use it," he scowled but let her continue, "The thing is that you want to rule the world on your own, which is next to impossible, however if anyone can do it, you know that you would. You have power Mr. Riddle and you know it."

"Where is this going?" He asked her out of frustration.

"I'm getting to it," she glared, and he kept silent, "You have more power than you will ever know, magically, politically, mentally and physically. When you harness this power, as I know you will, your arrogance will increase and you will start to exploit it and use it in ways it is not meant to be used. This is not ignorance or evil or even remotely wrong. It is simply human. Once we have what we want, we always want more, it's in our nature. However because of your arrogance, you will become careless and will not plan for a fall. You will eventually come across something that you wouldn't have expected or planned for and you will fall, very, very hard."

There was another pause in which Hermione went to walk past him, but he stopped her again.

"What did Dumbledore say to you?" He suddenly asked.

She smirked again.

"You only answered one question in Transfiguration that I didn't get to fast enough," she told him, cheek evident in her voice, "Which means you only get one answer, one conversation. You'll have to beat me to another one if you want another interrogation."

He looked her hard in the face, trying to find some hint of a lie in her statement, anything suggesting that she would go back on her word. He then stepped aside for her to pass and as she walked out the door, she distinctly heard him speak.

"See you in Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, Advance Transfiguration, Advanced Potions, Advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbology and Charms."


	7. Questions, Answers and Revelations

**Hello Lovely Readers!**

**I would like to say thank you very much to those of you who leave me reviews. I may not be able to reply to all of you, but you have to know that your support is very much appreciated. Please continue to send me reviews! It makes me want to keep bettering writing!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of this magical world.**

* * *

Chapter seven: Questions, Answers and Revelations

Hermione made her way along to Ancient Runes, her last class of the day, one of her favorites, and yet she was dreading it all the same. If Callus was anything like the others had described, she knew that she was going to clash with him. She hoped from the very beginning that she wouldn't encounter something like this. Someone with such a big broom up their ass that they couldn't see the talent and the potential that was right in front of them.

She sat at her desk, having arrived earlier than the rest of the class and waited for him, and them, to arrive. It didn't take all that long. First it was Cygnus and Abraxus who arrived, promptly taking the seats in front of her and seconds later Eileen arrived, placing herself in the set of desks next to her own rather than next to her.

"Has a rumor gone out that I have leprosy or something?" She asked, "Why aren't any of you sitting next to me?"

"Because _I'm_ going to," Tom said simply from the doorway, "I want to see your face when I beat you at every single question in this class."

"I know you'll beat me at every single question in this class," she rolled her eyes and he looked at her confusedly before she explained, "Callus isn't going to give me fair go is he? He won't pick me for answers; therefore, you'll get everything."

"And you aren't the slightest bit worried about that?" Cygnus asked her.

"I'll make up for it in every other class we have," she smirked. It was then Tom's turn to roll his eyes.

"So what did Dumbledore want?" Eileen asked her, a smile still on her face.

"What do you think he wanted?" Hermione sighed, "To warn me away from you dangerous creatures. Really Eileen, a black market, underground drug ring?"

"Well I had to find some way to get rid of the drugs my father was hiding in the house," she shrugged, "He can't go to Azkaban again, he'll go insane."

"So it's true?" She asked.

"Yeah," Eileen bowed her head, "But if I didn't get rid of them, he would have taken them or sold them or something and gotten caught."

"And you," Hermione turned to Cygnus, "What's all this about killing someone with Basalisk venom?"

"You know, surprisingly, that's the only thing on my file that I never did," he smiled, "It was my sister, Walburga. She was attacked by that maniac from Gryffindor, what was his name again? Ah yes, Thomas Birdstrum. He tried to rape her and she pulled out the venom that was in her pocket, a gift from my aunt, and stabbed him with the vile. I told her that they would let her off, but she was so scared that I took the fall for her."

"And that teacher with the potions and the wands?"

"The potions weren't nearly as illegal as Brindom made out," Abraxus told her, "And we only stung him a few times to get him away from Eileen. Unfortunately he's a marvelous actor and a wiz at memory charms. He had the whole class believing that he was grievously assaulted and that they all saw us do it."

"Not even I remember the real truth," Eileen sighed.

"What about all the extortion and fraud that keeps popping up in all your files?"

"Well they are from Slytherin," Tom rolled his eyes at her, finding only mild interest in the conversation now that his curiosity had been satisfied, "Why are you even answering them? When we were in that classroom, you wouldn't tell me a thing."

"Because playing games with them isn't nearly as fun as it is with you," she smiled sweetly at him, making him glare at her and the others look pointedly from one to the other.

She turned back to the others and smiled.

"I had a feeling that what Dumbledore told me was only half the truth," she told them and they sighed and smiled at her...before she turned back to Tom again, "Except with you. Everything he said about you seemed pretty accurate."

"You've got it wrong Miss. Evans," Cygnus shook his head.

"I agree," Eileen shook hers too, "Dumbledore has had it in for Tom since the beginning.'

"With good reason," she smirked and Tom scowled at her.

"All I've ever done is tried to keep this school in check," he said to her quietly, "I've never done anything wrong."

"And why do I find that so hard to believe?"

He was about to respond when the doors slammed open, cutting him off. Every head turned to the back of the class to see a tall, thin, exquisitely dressed man. His hair was thick brown, flowing down his back with piercing black eyes that screamed superiority to anyone who dared gaze upon them. Effectively, he was the best mixture of Severus Snape and Lucius Malfoy that Hermione had ever seen.

"Wands away," he said quietly, a small scowl forming on his lips, "Text books out and quills at the ready."

The Slytherins all turned away from Hermione and did as he asked within an instant. Hermione too, did not waste time.

"As you should now know," he continued his voice still cold and cruel, once again a strange mixture of Severus and Malfoy, "You will not be using any wands in this class. The art of Ancient Runes is to be respected and honored by only the best of wizards," Hermione tried not to snort, "And therefore, during practical sessions, you use wandless magic. Some of you, _lesser beings_ will struggle with this and only the best, the brightest and the most talented shall emerge victorious. Let us begin."

He started by simply going around the room and seeing what everyone could remember from the previous year. Well no, that wasn't entirely accurate. He went around the room seeing what every _male_ could remember and completely ignored the girls. Hermione had to bite her tongue several times. She didn't wish to cause trouble on her first day, even if it was the last class. He then proceeded to try a magical test. Those who could remember the basics at least had to make an object fly simply by saying the correct order of runes. Most of them failed and when it was Tom's turn, he didn't make it a secret that he was enjoying her discomfort. He stood and looked at the book in Callus' hands.

"Uruz, Ansuz, Kenaz," he muttered, causing the heavy tome to hover lightly above Callus' hands and then place itself on to the desk before him.

"Well done Tom, ten points to Slytherin," Callus smiled and went to move on until Hermione had had enough. She stood from her seat.

"I wish to try sir," she said calmly, though determination seeped through.

Callus turned to look at her with a cold glare.

"I take it that you are Miss Evans?" He almost whispered. It was a frightening reminder of what Tom was like at times.

"Yes sir."

"I've heard much about you. They say you came directly from the front, is that correct?"

"Yes sir."

"Did you happen to meet Grindlewald?"

Hermione knew that this was some kind of test. The acting skills and instinct that Draco had helped her develop instantly kicked in. Her face turned stony as she pretended to take a deep breath and look at him again.

"Yes sir," there was a slight tremble of anger in her voice that caused all the others to stare.

"Did you fight him?"

"If I had, this war would be over."

"You are that confident?"

"I am that _determined_, sir."

He scrutinized her for a bit and she glared back at him. He then proceeded to look down his nose at her and glared a cold stare that could have easily matched her own.

"Normally I would grant your request," he stated, something which Hermione knew wasn't at all true, "Especially to one who has just come from the front and survived. However, you are speaking out of turn. Twenty points from Slytherin. Now sit down before I throw you out and give you detention."

Her mouth opened wide in shock and was about to deliver the most scathing horrible reply she could think of, when she felt cool hands on her hips forcefully sit her back in her seat. She glared over at Tom, who covered her mouth, under the guise that he was trying to help Callus continue the lesson. Callus gave him a brief nod of thanks before he continued. Tom took his hand away when he was sure that she was not going to interrupt and then wrote on a piece of paper.

_He means what he says. Keep your mouth shut and just pay attention._

Not listening to him at all, she wrote back on the piece of paper...

_I don't bloody well care! He has no right what so ever to treat me or anyone else this way! He's a foul, evil, loathsome-_

Tom didn't give her the chance to finish and pulled the parchment out of her grasp.

_Regardless, you are too interesting to have thrown out of this school just yet. Stay seated and shut up or I will cast a petrificus totalus so strong that you won't be able to move for a week._

Hermione snatched the parchment back and glared at him as she wrote.

_Why are you doing this?_

He smirked as he read and then noted down his reply.

_Because playing games with anyone else isn't nearly as fun as it is with you_

Just for that reply alone she wanted to slap him. He did his best to irk her and she was ashamed to say that he was finally succeeding. He took the parchment back once more

_You will meet me by the Black Lake at eight o'clock tonight so that you may answer the questions I have for beating you in this class._

She peered down at the parchment for a few moments and then gave him her reply.

_That's hardly fair. I was never asked any questions nor selected to answer any._

He once again smirked at the parchment as he read her answer and gave his own reply.

_I never said that I would fight fair._

She had to give him that at least. When the class ended, Hermione packed her things away and stood to leave, when she was stopped for the second time by a teacher.

"Miss Evans," Callus called from his desk, "A word."

Hermione looked back at her fellow Slytherins and saw that they looked concerned. To her surprise, Tom was glaring most of all. But she knew what that was about. She'd become interesting now. He didn't want to see her hurt or leave too quickly. It was nothing more than that...not that she liked it anyway. She moved up to the desk, her face impassive and icy, just like at the sorting ceremony. She held herself as a queen ready to give the orders for an execution. She stood before Professor Callus.

"Yes sir?"

He finally looked up from the notes he was making and glared at her just as strongly.

"I don't know what kind of society you come from," he told her, "Or what the front may have done to you, but you must know that I will not tolerate cheek. Especially from a young witch such as yourself."

"And what is that supposed to mean sir?" She asked him, trying to keep her voice neutral.

Callus looked at her for a moment, then stood from behind his desk and walked around to her side. He stood a mere foot away from her, so close that she could feel his breath on her face as he spoke.

"The witches of this world have had many roles over the years," he told her, "And there will be many roles to come. Their role today and yours now too, is to be the perfect house wife. A porcelain doll designed to sit there and look pretty, a decoration if you will, a prize for a worthy wizard. They do not cuss, they do not talk back, they take orders and they abide by wizarding rules. You will now do the same."

She stood there and glared at him. She puffed up her shoulders and brought herself to full height, and even though she still looked like a dwarf compared to him, she looked menacing.

"I'm sorry sir," she stated through clenched teeth, "But I will not compromise myself or my honor for some superficial picture you have in your head of the perfect-house-wife-zombie-brained-barbie-doll bimbo! My brain is far too big to let you control or diminish me like you have all the other women in this castle."

She didn't even look at him as she turned on her heal and marched out the door. She didn't notice the four disillusioned Slytherins that had been listening by the keyhole with a well placed televising charm.

"She really is special," Cygnus smiled, not that the others could see.

"She really is an idiot," Abraxus rolled his eyes, "Callus will destroy her."

"You forget Abraxus," Eileen chimed in, "She just came back from the front. I bet you anything that she'll be able to take him in a fight."

"It's not a fight that he's talking about."

All heads turned in the direction of Tom's invisible voice and looked at him confusedly, something he could see, even though he couldn't see their faces..

"Get back to the common room and wait for dinner," he ordered, not expanding on his idea at all. None of them wasted any time at all in going.

***

"He's an absolutely pompous, controlling, manipulative, prejudiced, snarky son of a death eater!"

Hermione had gone straight to the Room of Requirement to fill Severus and Draco in. The blonder of the two was currently handing over twenty galleons with a horrible scowl on his face for Hermione's new house. Severus smirked at Draco as he answered her.

"That may be, but he is not your task," he told her, his smirk fading as he walked over to her and sat her down in an arm chair, "You need to remain focused. If there is any time left over, you may deal to him, but for now you must concentrate on Riddle. Has he shown any interest in your activities yet?"

Hermione groaned and then answered him.

"He pulled me into an empty classroom after Dumbledore tried getting me to stay away from him and the others," she told them with a sigh.

Draco looked at her speculatively and she glared at him.

"It was nothing like that!" She snapped at him, "All he did was admit that I have a brain."

"So he acknowledges that you are intelligent?" Severus asked, slightly impressed, "I hadn't expected this to go so quickly. What happened next?"

"He asked me what I meant about something, and I told him. He then asked me what Dumbledore wanted and I didn't say a damn thing about it. I was too pissed off at him."

"Tell me exactly what happened."

And so she did. She explained her entire day to them from Transfiguration, to Ancient Runes. Seeing as he had only sat next to her for one of the lessons and she had managed to get to every question before he had, there really wasn't much to tell about the others, but her two companions listened intently none the less.

"You're certainly making progress Granger, that's for sure," Draco told her, "You'll have to be careful though. He's showing too much interest in you too soon."

"I thought the whole point of this was to get him-"

"No," Draco shook his head, "The point of this is to learn his secrets and use them against him when we get back. You need to be careful how you do it though. He's possessive of those who he finds useful. If you interest him too much, he won't let you go once you learn everything you need to know. Why do you think my father's been under the imperius curse for the past three years?"

She thought about what he had said and looked at him in all seriousness.

"Does it really matter?"

Severus and Draco stared at her in confusion as she got out of her seat and began to pace across the floor.

"You said yourself that this mission was next to impossible," she told them, "But I've been thinking. I only _just_ beat him in those classes, only just. Even if we find the sources of his magic or a way to kill him, he's still intelligent. If I leave suddenly without explanation, then he's going to figure it all out. I know I would."

"Granger what are you saying?" Draco paled while looking at her.

"I might have to stay here for all this to work," she whispered, looking away from them, "There's no way that he wouldn't suspect anything, and he has fifty years or so to change his plans and methods-"

"No."

She looked up at them again to see Draco absolutely fuming. He glared at her with such intensity that Hermione thought she may explode. He walked over to her and wrapped his hands around either of her arms and spoke with such menace it shook her to the core.

"You will _not_ sacrifice yourself for this," he told her, controlled, violent anger dripping from his words, "I will not watch you slip away from us just so you can save those idiots you call friends. If we continue this, then you come back with us and do not even _think_ about staying behind ever again! If you even so much as breathe a word of it once more, I will rip that time turner from Severus' neck and we will all go back home."

Her arms were beginning to bruise under the pressure that he was inflicting on her, but she stared back at him with the same intensity and did not make a sound.

"Why do you even care so much?" She whispered hoarsely to him.

"I watched my mother die for me," he whispered back, "I won't let anyone else do the same."

Of course. Everything suddenly made sense to her now. Why Draco had tried to stop her from going, why he had put up so much protest until he had to save himself and Severus too...Why he had now bruised her arms quite badly and not even known it. He never spoke of what happened to Narcissa, and this was obviously a first. When he had come to them a year ago, he had been ragged and filthy and knocking on death's door, but most of all...he was alone.

He suddenly let go of her and stormed off into the bathroom where Severus and Hermione heard hot water running. Severus walked over to her and rolled up her sleeve to inspect the wound.

"Would you like me to take care of this?" He asked her calmly.

"No," she shook her head, "I'm late for dinner as it is. I'll deal with them after I meet with Riddle. Tell Draco-" she cut herself off, not knowing what she wanted him to know. A revelation like this didn't normally come about. She looked over at the bathroom door and then back at Severus, "Tell him something."

He nodded and allowed her to leave. She just about ran down the staircases until she reached the Great Hall, where all Slytherin eyes were upon her and she was ignored by the other houses after a quick glance.

"Where were you?" Cygnus asked her, standing to offer her a seat which she took with gratitude.

"I needed to calm down," she told him and the others, "So I went to my old rooms."

The others seemed to buy it, all except Tom who continued to stare at her with accusing eyes. The house once more lapsed into conversation about various parts of their day. Cygnus and Abraxus told her of a spectacular prank they played on Cygnus' cousin Charlus Potter II. Christa told her all about her classes with 'The trophies' as she liked to call the other girls and Druella kept trying to get her into a conversation with Cygnus but Hermione told her promptly that "Now isn't the time. Wait for the right moment."

"When will that be?!" Druella pouted.

"You'll know it when you see it," Hermione smirked at her. She then stood once she had finished eating and bid them all goodnight. Cygnus soon stood with her, having hurriedly finished his goulash and hooked his arm around hers.

"Next time you get mad," he whispered to her seriously as they moved out of the hall, "Come to me or Abraxus and _then_ go and have a fit. It's not safe for you to be on your own."

"What makes you say that?" She asked as they descended the stairs.

"Gryffindor isn't as noble as it seems, Hufflepuff, while complete dimwits, can be nasty and Ravenclaw are smartest for all the wrong reasons. They all hate us, the girls most of all. We do what we can to protect you, but it's not easy. Like with my sister Wulberga. She's homeschooled now because of it."

"I can take care of myself Mr. Black," she smiled at him, "Though I do appreciate the gesture."

"I know that you could protect yourself if it was a fair fight, but it very rarely is," he told her as they got to the common room and sat down on a couch together, "As I said, Gryffindors aren't nearly as noble as they're perceived to be."

"Could it have anything to do with the amount of pranks you play on them?" She asked him with a friendly smirk.

"That's just retaliation," he smiled innocently, "You'd better get upstairs and change. I have to escort you down to the lake soon."

She looked at him slightly confused.

"He told you about that?"

"Only that he wishes to speak to you in private. We have to make sure you aren't disturbed."

"And whose we?"

"Myself, Abraxus and I think he wants Alistair to guard the door to the entrance hall."

Wow, Riddle really was going to lengths to keep their liaisons private. Then again, could she expect anything less? After all, he was questioning her about things that not even _he_ might know and to have that go around the school would be absolutely hilarious. Tom Riddle, head boy, genius as far as everyone was concerned, getting information off of the poor little orphan girl who had just come from the front and lost everything she had. Then again, it may be construed as Tom trying to collect her and that in itself would be surprising. After all, not a single female thrived in his group. To have a woman there would certainly rock a few boats.

"Unless of course," Cygnus suddenly continued, a new glint in his eye, "You would like for me to come up and help you?"

Hermione gave him a beautiful smile and placed her hand on his cheek, doing the quickest thinking she could. She didn't want to hurt him. After all, he had been nothing but lovely to her since the day she arrived.

"I'm flattered Mr. Black, really," she told him softly, "But before I came here, I was engaged."

He looked at her in shock but he soon recovered and looked at her in a different way, in a way of friendship and plutonic love.

"Is he still at the front?" He asked her kindly.

"He was a lieutenant in the Italian wizarding army," she nodded to him, pouring on a few tears for effect, "We had met in the trenches ironically. He saved me from an avada and when that battle was over, we started talking. I was only sixteen and he was twenty. We fought side by side for a long time before the Italians put us together as a reconnaissance team. Every time there was someone down in the field, we went to get them. We never failed. Grindlewald suddenly started taking notice of me and my family after I had gotten engaged. My father was a spy, my mother a healer. With myself and Draco," she added that just as a precaution, incase he and Severus had to come and save her someday and he needed a cover, not to mention it would piss him off, "As the best reconnaissance team the Italians had, you can imagine the kind of threat we posed to him."

"So he came after you," Cygnus finished for her and she nodded.

"Draco saved me from him," she told him, "Got me out of bed and on a broom so quickly that Grindlewald couldn't come after me. I saw him kill my parents, but Draco managed to run. I haven't heard from him since."

"But you still hold hope that he's alive," Cygnus nodded, then looked at his watch, "Normally I would not cut a conversation such as this short, but you must be getting ready for Tom."

She smiled at him and gave him the biggest hug she could manage.

"Thank you for your understanding Cygnus," she whispered in his ear.

"Thank you for trusting me Hermione," he whispered back and she went up stairs to change.

She came back down in another skirt and blouse, though this time with a black trench coat to keep her warm. She was starting to get sick of the lack of footwear she had to choose from though. It was ridiculous.

"Ready to go?" He asked her, after unashamedly checking her out.

"Of course," she smiled at him, and together they walked the halls, easy conversation lapsing between them. They reached the entrance hall within minutes, nodding to Alistair who smiled at them and allowed them passage out into the grounds. Cygnus then unhooked his arm from hers and gestured for her to proceed.

"This is as far as I go," he told her, "Tom really doesn't want us to over hear your conversations."

She nodded and ventured out into the night air. It was relatively chilly considering, though she had a feeling that it was more to do with the atmosphere and who she was going to be speaking with than the weather itself. She walked along the rocky path down the great hill until she could see the lake and the one she sought staring out at it. His face looked so troubled as he stared at its waters. He was contemplating something, more than likely her, but something told her that tonight was going to be far worse than what she had planned. She moved up and stopped a few feet behind him, her face impassive as she looked at him, trying to decipher what he was thinking by staring at the back of his head.

"What took you so long?" he asked her quietly, still not looking at her, "You're ten minutes late."

"I was having a rather meaningful conversation and I lost track of time," she told him, "That's question one, what are you're other six?"

He spun around to face her, a look of annoyance on his face.

"That doesn't count," he told her.

"Yes it does," she smirked, "I said that for every question you answer before me in class I would answer one of yours. That was a question and I answered it. Now what are your other six?"

He glared at her.

"That isn't fair."

"Well it looks like two of us are fighting dirty," she retorted, "Since when do you care what's fair and what's not?"

"Since there is a chance to get what I want," he muttered so that she couldn't hear him. He then turned back to her and gesture to the ground, "Sit."

She raised her eyebrows at him as he kneeled.

"Sit," he repeated.

"I'm not a dog," she told him quietly.

"Dogs are more obedient," he told her and gestured to the ground again. With a sigh and a roll of her eyes, Hermione sat beside him, "By your count I have six questions that I can ask tonight. I want to be sure that you are telling the truth. You will look at me every time you answer."

She could tell he was being careful now, simply because he didn't add 'are we clear?' on the end. She gave him a nod and that was when his first question was asked.

"What was your life like before Grindlewald?"

She stared at him and blinked.

"Why do you want to know that?"

"Answer the question."

She was obligated now, she had to. She only hoped that he wouldn't ask her a question that she would have to lie to too heavily.

"It was...different," she told him, picking out truths from her past to feed to him, "My parents kept the fact that I was a witch a secret until I was ten. They gave the excuse that they wanted me to have a normal life before I was plunged head first into the pool and told to swim. I was an outsider to the muggles because of it. I was generally smarter than they were; I kept making strange things happen...I even thought myself to be weird. It was then that my parents told me and I felt...whole. Like a piece of the puzzle had finally been put in place. I suddenly didn't care what the others thought and buried myself in magic. Grindlewald came along when I was fifteen and I was then forced into the Italian Magical Army via the conscription act of 1726."

He seemed to buy it. Maybe his Legillimancy wasn't as advanced as she thought it was? He then fired off his next question.

"What happened the night your parents died?"

Well that was easy enough to answer. She poured on her acting skills again and looked away from him, but he turned her head back to him with a strong hand.

"What happened when your parents died?" He repeated.

"It was the dead of night," she told him, echoing her past and what she had told Cygnus, "We had all gone to bed early, to be ready for battle the next morning. My father was a top line spy and my mother was a healer, so they would both be hard at work the next day. There was a sudden crash and I felt my fiancée's hand on my mouth, stopping me from screaming. We got up and tried to save my parents, but it was too late. They tortured us both, they tried to rape me but I managed to wound them badly enough that they stayed away. They were going to kill us when Draco got free and charged them. He then got me out and onto a broom and ran himself. I haven't heard from him since that night."

He stared at her with wide eyes but didn't linger as more questions came to mind.

"Do you have any family that's alive?"

"Maybe an Uncle, but my father stopped talking to him when I was six."

"Why did you come here when your parents died?"

"My father was British. He had always told me that Hogwarts was the safest place to be."

"What was his name?"

"Severus Evans."

"That's not a pureblood name."

"He was my adoptive father," she smiled at him, "My real father never wanted to know me and my mother never talked about him. All she ever told me was that he was a pureblood and a bastard."

"Where did you live?"

"On the borders of Italy, in a small wizarding town called Belle Ciao. We moved there when I was eleven. My parents thought it might be a good idea to have me surrounded by magic so that I could better pick it up."

"Did you ever take a life in the war?"

"I took many," she said gravely.

It was his last question that threw her off entirely.

"Why are you lying to me?"

She stared at him like a stoned fish.

"I'm sorry?" She asked him.

"Why are you lying through your teeth to conceal the truth from me?" he asked quietly and calmly, yet still so cold, "You aren't from Italy, you never met Grindlewald. You were never engaged, you're definitely not a pureblood and I'm damn sure your name isn't Evans. So I will ask you again. Why are you lying?"

He had figured her out without even knowing how much. She had to respect something like that. Therefore, she had to give him some kind of answer. It was his last question, so she could get away with it after all.

"Because I don't trust you," she smiled, standing, "Because you are the last person I would tell the truth to and because you have no right in knowing."

He suddenly stood and grabbed a hold of her wrist and swung her into a tree. Her back hit the bark painfully as he pressed himself against her, almost strangling her in his anger.

"You aren't the only observant one Hermione," he said quietly, lifting her chin to look at him, "Bags under your eyes mean that you have frequent nightmares. Scars on your skin," he lifted her arm and ripped open half her sleeve, just before the bruises Draco had given her, running his fingers slowly down a curse scar Bellatrix had given her months back, "Battle scars for sure, though they aren't from this war; that much is for sure. Let's face it Hermione, you are damaged beyond repair, but one must wonder why? Who broke you so much that you wake up screaming every night? Who destroyed you so badly that you need a bottle of liquor to forget it all? Who took away everyone and everything you ever loved so that you had to come here?"

She tried to knee him in the groin, but he caught her leg, still pressing himself to her. She then began to panic. What was he going to do with her now that he had figured out half the riddle? Torture her until he figured out the rest?

"I don't make the same mistake twice," he whispered, "Now answer me and you won't have to get hurt any more than what you are."

Her panic suddenly faded. She thought about his words for a moment and then her face suddenly split into a grin and she began to laugh bitterly. His face changed from impassive to a scowl in seconds.

"That's the thing Tom," she laughed at him, "That's why I'm here. You couldn't possibly break me anymore than what I am."

She pushed her magic with as much might as she could muster and soon, Tom was on the grass, having been thrown from her body. She took out her wand and pointed it at him before he could retrieve his own.

"Until you can prove to me that I will be safe with you alone, there won't be anymore of these sessions," she told him, "What's the point in letting you win when I get nothing out of it but pain?"

She turned her on her heel and marched up too the castle, her façade dropped along the way as she saw that Abraxus, Cygnus and Alistair had long since gone. She didn't go back to the common room and she didn't go to the Room of Requirement. She took out Harry's invisibility cloak and wondered the halls for the rest of the night, tears of fear and heart break staining her cheeks.


	8. What the Hell was That?

**Hello Lovely Readers!**

**Here's the next chapter. Things get a little bit weird and spicy here, so I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. As always, please leave a review and if it's more than a few lines, I'll find some time to get back to you on it. Thanks heaps guys!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of this magical world.**

* * *

Chapter Eight: What the Hell was that?

He didn't sit next to her again the next day, or the next month in fact. In every class they had together, he would no longer answer questions and he would no longer speak. Everyone noticed it. No one noticed what it meant. Except for Hermione. He was watching her, waiting for her to either stuff up or do...something else. All she knew was that he was watching her with interest. Every time her hand rose, he would watch, every time she would speak, he would listen. From the third of September to the fifth of November, he just watched and observed.

And it was starting to aggravate her more than it should. Why did he always feel the constant need to observe? He never asked her questions, he never even spoke to her, so why was he so interested in just...watching.

She hadn't been back to the Room of Requirement since her fight with Draco. Partly because she was afraid to face him after his outburst and partly because she was ashamed to face him after her fight with Tom. He had been right. Tom gained too much of an interest in her too quickly and now it was causing her trouble. She had become his daily entertainment, his puzzle and the moment he figured it out, her life would be over.

So she sat in her dormitory one morning, combing her hair, pondering everything that had gone on the past month. She ran the teeth through her long, untamed, wild mane and let it fall to her shoulders. It was like each strand held a piece of her stress.

This one was Tom, this one was Draco, this one was Severus, all these were the Order, this one was Voldemort in her time, this clump of knots was the Death Eaters that forced her there, this straggly piece over here were the Death Eaters that she was with now and this entire section was devoted to Professor Callus. He still hadn't let up on her. He had taken away twenty points from Slytherin only a day before hand simply because she was _too early_. Could you believe it? Too early! All her hair was a symbol of how things were. It was only when she applied her charms in the morning that she felt somewhat in control. She refined the section for Callus, tied up the Death Eaters and the Order, let Draco and Severus hang either side of her face and let Tom and Voldemort hang loose at the back. Once she had given them their respective sections, places and tools to hold them in place, she could see them all clearly and think about what to do with them all.

She would talk to Draco and ask Severus to lay off for a bit.

She would find a way to get Callus kil- sacked.

She would destroy Voldemort and all his evil minions.

She would save the Order.

She would avenge Harry.

And most importantly...she would find out what Tom was planning.

It wouldn't take all that much to find out. One thing she had noticed about Voldemort junior was that his hiding skills weren't nearly as great as they were in her time. He was a little less subtle here, even though his skill was still unparalleled by any other in the castle. If anyone could find out what he was up to, it would be her. They didn't call her the smartest witch of her age for nothing you know.

After finishing off her "stress mop" as she now called it, Hermione moved down to the common room. Today was a Saturday, so she could do what ever she liked. She had entertained the idea of going to Hogsmeade with the other girls, but it just didn't sit right in the pit of her stomach. Something felt off about today, like she was missing something, something that was obviously deeply important, otherwise she wouldn't be devoting half of Callus' and the Death Eater's section to it. She couldn't think of it, so she brushed it off and sat on a leather couch, not noticing that Tom was once more staring at her. He sat in his own leather arm chair, peering over the top of his book, watching as she put her feet on the coffee table, her head in her hands, contemplating something, trying to figure it all out. She suddenly growled in frustration and smacked her high heeled shoe into the glass, making it crack.

"What ever is making you destroy the furniture, keep it quiet," he suddenly said, "Some of us would like to read."

She finally peered over to his side of the room after she had repaired the coffee table and looked at him with surprise.

"I thought you had adopted a habit of spying on me?" She asked him, "That normally doesn't involve speech."

"For the sake of spies all over the world, I thought I had better say something," he shot back, not even denying it, "Better you be quiet and not draw attention to them or you or the whole espionage trade would be out the window. Then again, shouldn't you know that? What with your father being a spy for the Italian wizarding army and all."

She cringed at his reminder but said nothing. She didn't really have the energy to fight today. His eyebrows rose so that she could see them over his book.

"No reply? Merlin, Hermione Evans without something to say; that really is a sight. Perhaps she's finally learned her place?"

She just ignored him again. That thing that was sitting at the back of her mind, the thing she had forgotten, was egging at her still. What ever it was, it was so important that she no longer felt the need to reply. He looked at her with almost concern now. She hadn't said a word to him and she was staring into space. Hermione Evans never did that. In the entire month that he had known her, berated her, shot her down, spied and made her life a misery, not once had he seen her stare into space.

"What on earth is going on inside that head of yours Evans?" He asked her, finally putting down his book. She looked up at the noise of him crossing the room and staring down at her.

"What day is it?"

"Saturday," he answered blankly, "Merlin Evans if you can't even rememb-"

"What's the date?" She cut across him, her eyes suddenly widening as she looked at the copy of _Hogwarts: a History_ that he had left on the floor.

"November sixth."

Her eyes widened even further and she launched herself off the couch. Everything made sense now! The feelings, the dates, why she didn't want to go to Hogsmeade... It all made sense! She grabbed Tom's wrist and tried to drag him out of the room, but he just threw her away from him.

"What do you think you are doing?!"

"You need to come with me now!" She said, attaching herself to his wrist again, "Hogsmeade is going to be attacked!"

He looked at her with skeptical eyes and she sighed, tugging on him again.

"It doesn't matter whether you believe me or not about my past, the fact remains that this is going to happen and _no one knows about it_!"

She tugged on him one last time and he finally budged. Soon after, she was racing to keep up with him. They made it to the Entrance Hall in seconds.

"Go and find Headmaster Dippet-" Hermione started but was cut off by Tom dragging her by the hand out the door, "What are you doing?! We have to warn the teachers!"

"What are they going to do?" He asked her heatedly, finally stopping out of frustration for her resistance, "Dumbledore is afraid of Grindlewald and the rest of the staff are idiots. They will all run around in circles screaming that the sky is falling before they even think about taking him on! Not one of them will put up a real fight, so what do you think the teachers are going to do?"

"And you think you can do it on your own?" She asked him scathingly, "You may be strong Riddle, but you are nowhere near that strong."

"Why do you think I'm entertaining the insane and potentially fatal idea of you going with me?"

She glared at him as he continued to drag her out into the grounds and out the gate. Eventually, she saw his logic and began to run with him instead of struggle. He was right. The teachers were complete idiots compared to them. The only thing they had on their side was experience and it wasn't as if Hermione or Tom for that matter, didn't have that. It had become obvious to her that if anyone was going to save their class mates, it was them.

As they ran, both shed their outer layers of jumpers and robes until they were left with the bare essentials of shirt, shoes and pants/skirt. Hermione made a split up her skirt for easier movement, took her wand out of her thigh holster and put a charm on her hair so that it wouldn't come out of its bun while she was fighting. Tom too, removed his wand and together they ran as fast as they could to the danger ahead.

It took only a matter of minutes to see that the destruction had begun. Roofs were on fire, children were being thrown from one end of town to the other and the ground was covered in holes where exploding potions had been thrown. Tom and Hermione immediately leaped into action. Tom threw an unknown curse at one of Grindlewald's followers and Hermione threw another. A bright light flew their way and they went through separate alleys to get out of its way. Hermione soon found herself fighting two at once as they had ducked through the same alley. She dodged, she flicked, she cursed, she jumped and she waved her wand so fast that not even she could believe the curses she was producing. As she delivered the final blow to her assailants, she ran again to tackle another pair, only to find that they had Eileen by the throat.

"Let her go," she ordered them, doing her best impersonation of Tom, cold, calculating and expressionless.

The two men looked at her for a moment amidst the chaos then back at Eileen. After that, they looked at each other and smiled.

"Fine," one of them said, dropping Eileen instantly and turning towards her, "We'll take you instead."

"Ooooh this one's gonna be nice Bill," the other said, rubbing his hands together as they advanced. Hermione didn't even move.

"Hermione! Run!" Eileen screamed at her, unable to stand from where she was dropped. They had already done their damage to her. Her shirt torn, her skirt completely thrown from her body. She couldn't stand because of the binds that had been cast to keep her still.

"I think you're right Marty," the other smirked, "She's a firecracker that's for sure."

"I can't wait to make her scream."

"RUN!"

"I can't wait to hear her whimper."

"She's going to taste so heavenly."

"GET OUT OF HERE!"

"She's going to have so many bruises."

"She won't be able to walk by the time we're done...not that she'll need to."

They came to a slow stop, almost nose to nose with her as she gazed up at them with that same cold look. They smiled, seemingly thinking that she was paralyzed by fear.

"'Ello poppet," one of them said and that was when her cold expression turned into a smirk.

"Hi."

Two great golden daggers suddenly emerged from behind her back and the two men were left with nothing but bleeding throats before her. They stared at each other in shock and then she stabbed them both in the groin.

Leaning into their ears she said to them as they gasped.

"That's for all the women out there," she whispered to each, "That you defiled, destroyed and violated. Sweet dreams."

With that they collapsed to the ground, leaving Hermione with a heap of blood on her shirt, but with a satisfied smirk on her lips. She moved over to Eileen after that and knelt before her.

"How did you do that?" She asked her.

"I taught myself a long time ago-"

"That's not what I meant-"

"I know," she smiled back, "But that story is far too long to tell at the moment...unless you want to wait for another couple of idiots."

Eileen couldn't help but smile as she stood, being supported by Hermione. Hermione put her daggers away from then on, seeing as she could barely move with Eileen on her shoulders. They staggered a while until they came across Abraxus who took Eileen from Hermione.

"How did you two survive this long?" He asked, partially genuine as they ducked to avoid an exploding potion.

"You should have seen her Abraxus," Eileen smiled, "She's amazing."

"Have you seen anyone else?" Hermione asked him, more serious than what they were.

"Cygnus was taking care of Druella the last time I looked and Christa and Amelia had found Alistair, Crabbe and Goyle. I still haven't seen-"

He cut himself off with a groan as Eileen clung onto him and he clutched his wrist. Hermione instantly rolled up his left sleeve to see the Dark Mark gleaming up at her, smiling at her discomfort. She looked back at him as he snatched it away.

"I have to go," he managed to get out and was about to dump Eileen on her when she grabbed his wrist.

"I'm going with you," she told him seriously, "He's going to need all the help he can get."

Abraxus looked down at her and battled with himself not to leave her behind. Tom would kill him, Tom would torture him until he could no longer scream...but Tom also wanted to know what she was made of. If he really wanted to see what she was like, this was the place to find out.

They deposited Eileen into the arms of a seventh year Ravenclaw who was running by and asked him to take her back to the castle. Despite the fact that he wanted nothing more than to strangle them both, he did as he was asked and took her into his arms, running as fast as he could. Abraxus then wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling out his wand and tapping his mark, which aparated them just in time into...a crowd of ten boys surrounded by at least fifty of the attackers.

Each stood with their backs to one another in an outward circle, Hermione and Abraxus joining in on either side of the master himself, wands drawn, daggers hidden and ready.

"What did you bring _her_ for?" Tom asked quietly as their opponents advanced.

"You were entertaining the insane and potentially fatal idea of me going with you," she told him sarcastically.

He didn't get a chance to reply as their enemies suddenly rushed them. Both Death Eaters and followers of Grindlewald were flying in all directions. Pretty soon they were all too close together to use wands without killing the person next to them. Without thinking, Hermione tried to pull her wand out and fire something that would blow them apart. Within seconds, her wand snapped in two. With nothing else left, broke out her daggers once more and began to hack her way through. Tom watched her as he made his way through his own opponents, scratching, clawing, fighting for a way out. He had never seen such grace before. Clearly she had been using them for a long time, but the question was why. What would prompt her to choose muggle over magic? She twirled, she stabbed, she hacked and she slashed, never missing her mark, a perfect aim. Every time her knife came into contact with another's skin there was meaning behind it, something that he couldn't see, something that he would never see if he didn't do something about it.

Something stunned him in that moment. He _wanted_ to see it. He wanted to see all of her. Where she came from, what her past was truly like, what she was made of, why she was here, when she had become a ruthless killing machine. Catching her out in her lies had just been something standard to do. He had planned on leaving it for a while and then destroying her with it afterwards, but now he didn't see a target. He didn't see something that stood in his way. He saw potential. He saw talent. He saw a weapon.

He ducked just in time as a killing curse came his way. The group had finally split into two separate sides once more and now he was able to do his worst. He gave them his best torture curses, he used imperio to make them kill each other, he broke their bones, he sliced their skin and all the while, Hermione watched. He was ruthless, completely cold and ruthless. He didn't feel any remorse for anything he was doing, not that it surprised her. It was just a bit of a shock to see it so up close. She had never once met him on the battle field whilst in her time, she had been fortunate enough to escape his notice during the entire time she had been friends with Harry. It was only luck that had spared her from this kind of punishment. She watched as a well placed severing charm spattered blood all over his clothes and skin. Like her, he didn't even flinch. He just kept on fighting until there was no one left.

The words of the sorting hat suddenly came to mind as she drove her blades into the chest of another attacker...

_I do hope you have fun learning the secrets of Mr. Riddle. I have to say, that is one brain I wouldn't mind picking once more_

She suddenly realized that she didn't want to see what was inside his mind at all. Yes, the information would be priceless and interesting from an academic point of view, but on a personal level, diving into the psyche of Tom Riddle would be a nightmare. He was a sadistic, evil, manipulative, brilliantly insane and impossibly cruel master of torture. If he didn't kill her physically, diving into his mind and learning all his secrets would finish her off for sure.

She ducked as one of Grindlewald's men tried to hit her with a piece of wood and tripped him up with a kick to the ankles before finishing him off with a slash to the throat. How many of these idiots were there? She stood up and looked around for a moment to see that there were only a few left. Her eyes suddenly locked with Tom's across the street. They were both covered in blood, both panting, both tired, but now, they both understood at least a small portion of each other. Some secrets were never going to be shared while others were destined to be given to one another. Which ones were uncertain, but they would be revealed in time. It was something that was just inevitable.

She suddenly threw her dagger in his direction, only _just_ missing his head as he ducked just in time.

"We're on the same side you idiot!" He roared at her. She smirked and gestured for him to turn around. He turned slowly to see one of Grindlewald's men nailed to the wall of Honey Duke's by a dagger to the head, his eyes wide in shock with his wand ready to fire a killing curse at the boy before him. He looked at the body for a few moments before walking up to it and ripping the knife out of his skull. It was hard not to take some time to appreciate the craftsmanship. Beautiful white gold, with many tiny diamonds on the hilt and a ruby or three scattered at the top. It had a strange design on the blade itself. Many layered swirls of silver indented into the piece of art. It was obvious that this was where the enchantments had been placed to protect it and it was also obvious that these blades had been made specifically for her. If it was anything, it was expensive and deadly. He wiped the blood from the blade with his own sleeve and suddenly threw it back at her. If she hadn't caught it in time, she would have the exact same problem as her victim who had now slumped to the floor.

It was now his turn to smirk as she glared at him and rolled her eyes

Minutes later, the battle was over. Those students that had been involved and were only minimally injured were carted off to the Hospital wing and those with injuries that put their lives at risk were sent to St Mungo's Hermione sat on a hospital bed watching as others were treated before her. Cygnus had broken several bones, Abraxus had the worst black eye she'd ever seen, Eileen had gone to St Mungo's and Amelia was unconscious. Druella had a few curse scares here and there; Christa was completely unharmed even though she had been stuck in the rubble of Zonko's joke shop for several hours and Tom had a deep cut that was over flowing with blood across his arm. Hermione herself, had a deep curse scar across her back that was in very much the same state, but by the amount of patients that Madam Gertrude had to treat, she wasn't going to get to them any time soon. It stung an awful lot, but it wasn't anything life threatening, so she had no problem waiting.

What she didn't like however, was the way Tom was once again staring at her. It had changed from calculating to contemplative. He was mulling over a few options in his head that concerned her. What was he planning this time? She saw him suddenly shake his head to try to clear it as he looked at her. That was a first. She continued to watch him surreptitiously from the corner of her eye as he continued to watch her without discretion. He once again shook his head and seemed to mutter something to himself. It was certainly odd. What had changed during the battle that she hadn't seen?

She saw him get up and walk off somewhere. She then chose to watch him without bothering to hide it and saw him walk into the potion's pantry and retrieve several things. Now what was that for? He then moved over to one of the Slytherin first years with a small smile and began to patch him up. What the hell was that? Was he trying to perfect his image now? She rolled her eyes as it clicked inside her head. The sooner everyone else was dealt with, the sooner Madam Gertrude could get to him. There were bound to be a few things he could do to help them and then get himself seen. Normally this kind of attitude would annoy her, but the stinging on her back prevented her from being righteous. Hermione very much liked his sentiment and so she began to do the same thing.

She went to Druella and Amelia, whilst Tom went to Cygnus and Abraxus. Hushed tones flowed to her ears as he worked on the horrible puss oozing eye and broken bones. She managed to catch her name a few times, but nothing more than that.

"They're talking about you," Druella told her as Hermione worked on her, "I'm not surprised either, you were amazing out there."

Hermione shook her head.

"That was easy compared to the front," she told her, "When you're in a real battle, you get more than just a few scratches."

It wasn't entirely a lie. The worst injuries she had ever had had been in the last battle before she came here. Several curse scars, a broken arm, torn thigh muscle and a cracked skull. Even the stinging of the great gash on her back was nothing compared to that.

"Still," Druella went on, "I've never seen anyone fight like that. Where did you learn to use knives?"

"I taught myself," she answered with a shrug and the other two gaped. She hissed again as she bent over to pick up a cloth to put on Amelia's head. That gash really was a pain.

"It looks painful. Did a torture curse do that?" Christa asked her.

"It was a sectumsempra on a bad angle," she replied, "I only copped a fraction of the damage it could have done. It's fine."

Once the girls were dealt to, she decided to go and check on Abraxus and Cygnus. Tom had done all he could after all and was seeing to his other followers.

"How's your skeleton?" She asked Cygnus as she walked over, smiling at them both.

"How's your back?" He asked her, "Did you slice yourself or something?"

She giggled and shook her head.

"Curse on a bad angle," she smiled at them, "Which is the least I could say for you. What happened?"

"Burning, falling building," Cygnus gestured to himself then to Abraxus, "Nasty bat bogey hex with a torture chaser."

Hermione screwed her face up in horror. Those really were the worst. Abraxus was lucky that it was only his eye covered in green puss and bruises. Cygnus gestured for her to sit on the bed with him and she did, her feet suddenly sore from all the fighting she had done in her high heels.

"You were brilliant out there," Cygnus told her, "What did you do in the army? Assassination?"

"Reconnaissance," she smiled, "It involved a fair bit of fighting on the go and trickery. This kind of battle was perfect for me."

Again, not a complete lie.

"Aren't you glad I came with you now?" She asked Abraxus smugly who just smiled at her. She stood up again to remove her shoes and get into a more comfortable position on the bed when one of the other seventh years walked past and knocked a potions trolley into her back. She only let a loud groan escape her lips instead of the ear piercing scream of fury and pain that was dying to get out. She collapsed to her knees and held onto Cygnus bedside, concentrating as much as she could on not passing out from the pain. She could hear Cygnus yelling and heard rough foot steps as a fight was sure to break out, but nothing more than that as she tried to re-focus. She suddenly felt cool hands on her hips, careful not to touch her back, guiding her back into a standing position. She continued to lean on Cygnus' bed as the person rubbed soothing circles on her hips and she continued to try not to pass out. Eventually, they guided her to another bed and pulled the curtain around them for privacy. He made her lean on the bed the way she had before, his hands still on her hips and then he spoke.

"Cygnus is going to kill Potter."

Oh crap.

"Your shirt is going to have to come off if you want this glass removed," he told her calmly.

"Glass?!" She exclaimed, "How the hell did that get in there?"

She heard a few giggles from outside and knew that Druella and Christa were going to have a field day with this. Not to mention Eileen when she was released from St Mungo's.

"I imagine that one of the exploding potions hit a window while you were fighting and glass was lodged in your curse wound," he told her, "Remove your shirt."

"I'll wait for Madam Gertrude."

"She's gone to get the headmaster to deal with Potter, so she left me in charge. Remove your shirt."

"I can still wait."

"You're about to pass out from pain and infection. I'm not going to leave you in this state when you are under my care. Remove your shirt."

She didn't want to. It was just a horribly vulnerable position to be in with Riddle. Growing impatient he leaned in to her ear and whispered.

"If you don't get rid of it, I will vanish all your clothes and you will have to walk all the way down to the dungeons completely naked."

That did it. She undid the buttons with her back to him and slid it slowly off her shoulders, trying as hard as she could not to cause herself any more pain. He leaned her back over the bed and examined the wound.

"That'll have to go too," he told her, running his finger along one of her bra straps, "It's not just one wound, it's several and the deepest ones are right along the material."

Subconsciously, she knew he was right, but she just didn't want to! It was embarrassing for Merlin's sake! In only her skirt in front of the Dark Lord? Could it get any worse? He sensed her hesitation and rolled his eyes. He leaned forward again and ran the tip of his wand down her cheek.

"Naked," was all he had to say.

With a scowl on her face, she unhooked her only safe guard and placed it next to her, grabbing a pillow off the bed and clinging it to her front as she kept her back to him. She felt him run his fingers over the wounds, inspecting them, searching them. He then began to pull out the tiny pieces of crystal shrapnel.

"How did you not notice so much glass?" He asked her with curiosity, "It would have slowed any normal person to the point of a complete stop."

"I guess I'm just special then aren't I," she said sarcastically, wincing as he took out a particularly large piece.

"Where did you learn to fight like that?"

She rolled her eyes. Why did everyone want to know that?

"It's a long story," she answered him, "And knowing you and what happened last time, I'm willing to gather that you wouldn't believe a word of it."

"Only if you lie."

She rolled her eyes again.

"What happened to your wand?"

"My, my, for someone who doesn't believe a word I say, you sure are full of questions."

"Perhaps if you answered them truthfully, I might believe you. What happened to your wand?"

"It got snapped."

"You'll have to get a new one."

"That much is obvious."

"I'll arrange it with the Headmaster once I'm done here."

"I can do it myself."

"Fine."

There was silence again.

"So where did you learn to fight like that?"

"Oh for Merlin's sake!" She exclaimed, "Why does everyone want to know that?"

"Because it's interesting," he answered simply, "And something we haven't seen before."

"Well as I said before. I was due to teach back home. I'm bound to know a few things that you don't."

He stopped what he was doing for a moment and leaned into her ear again.

"But you don't know everything."

She froze at his words. It was strangely chilling and exhilarating to have him so close. Whether it was because he was the dark lord and was capable of killing her at any moment, or whether it was because he was a boy and she hadn't let anyone, not even Ron that close while she was half naked, it was hard to tell. But either way, she felt a chill up her spine as she listened to him.

"You have skill. You and I both know it. But you lack other knowledge. I could give you that knowledge Hermione. There are so many things I could teach you."

"I don't deal in dark magic Riddle," she told him as firmly as she could.

"You should," he told her softly, "It would do you wonders. With a mind like yours, you could be almost as powerful as me."

It was hard not to consider it when he was rubbing such marvelous circles on her hips; they were highly distracting. He was being so gentle that it was almost frightening.

"You think you're great now," he whispered in her ear, "But imagine what you could do once I'm through with you. Not even Callus would dare to speak to you. You would have the entire world at your feet."

The entire time he was massaging her hips. She had to close her eyes as his words sunk in, caressing her imagination in such wonderful ways. And she could see it all; everything he was saying was becoming perfectly clear within her mind. No one would ignore her ever again, no one would take her for granted, and no one would dare to oppose her. But there was just one tiny problem. Her hate for being manipulated was much stronger than her ambition.

"Thanks for the offer Riddle," she said coldly with her eyes wide open once more, "But my last session with you left a few reminders."

To her surprise, he didn't curse her for refusing. He didn't even insult her. He just continued to smile and treat her. What was going on with him? He looked at her strangely, he helped her not to die and now he wasn't cursing her for refusing to join him? What the hell was that about? He started to run a magical disinfectant over all her cuts and scratches after that. It smelt horrible, it stung like a bitch and there was no other way to describe it except completely evil. Ha, just like the person applying it.

"You need to relax so that I can get this in properly," he said quietly. Something in his voice had changed, though she didn't know what. Now he was speaking to her differently? This really was odd.

"That's not exactly easy," she hissed back as he rubbed in more of the foul solution. He stopped for a moment and once he resumed, the strokes of his fingers were different. They were longer, gentler, no longer for medical purposes. One of his hands curled around her waist and turned her around. She clutched the pillow tightly to her front as she looked at him, trapped between his body and the bed. He looked at her, his brow's furrowed, his head cocked to the side, just like before, scrutinizing her. He lifted one hand from the bedside and moved it slowly, gently up to her chin. She couldn't move, but as she looked at him, she realized that it wasn't from fright. It was curiosity that had taken hold of them both. She let him run a cold finger down the side of her cheek, she let him place a hand on her hip, she let him look at her so strangely without interruption. She was curious to see what he would do next. His face was only an inch away, only a pillow separating him from her fully. He could have done what ever he wanted in that moment and she would have let him.

He suddenly stepped back and away from her, his face now horrified and angry with what he had done, for what he was about to do. He was even angrier at her for letting him do it. He raised his fist, ready to strike her for what just happened but it stayed in the air, hanging there, as though held back by an invisible chain. He didn't do it. Something about her sitting there, with her eyes closed, frightened but ready for what was to come, just didn't let him do it. He let out a roar in frustration and walked out of the hospital wing in a huff and Hermione could only think of one thing to say...

"What the hell was that?"


	9. What Must Be Done and What One Needs

**Hello Lovely Readers!**

**I just want to say a big thank you to all my reviewers out there. I may not be able to respond to all of you, but I just want to let you know that your reviews are appreciated immensely. I hope you like this chapter. It has a bit of everything; humour, sadness, fluff...well, hopefully not too much fluff. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of this magical world

* * *

**

Chapter Nine: What must be done and what one needs

As soon as she was capable of movement again she replaced her clothes and raced to the Room of Requirement for the first time in a month. She needed help to try and sort this out as soon as possible. She almost jogged past the patch of wall three times because she was so desperate to see them. When she entered the room however, she did not expect to come face to face with a completely naked Malfoy. She screamed her head off and tried to duck out of the room again. Malfoy however, just rolled his eyes, grabbed a towel and shoved it around his lower section before grabbing her.

"Seriously Granger," he told her, "You really need to get some action."

"I doubt that will make the sight of you in your birthday suit any more appealing Malfoy!" She yelled at him.

"Well you haven't been here in over a month Granger," Draco told her, "Forgive me if I didn't think you would turn up today."

"Do you even know what today _is_?" She asked him sarcastically.

"No Granger," he rolled his eyes, "You were the only one who paid attention in History of Magic."

"November 6th, Malfoy!" She yelled at him again, "What happened on this day in 1944?"

"Aliens landed?" He suggested, figuring that she was now just yelling at him for the sake of yelling. To his shock, she turned her back on him and lifted up her shirt to reveal several deep gashes dripping with blood and some kind of ointment. Now that he looked at her, he could see blood all over her, her skirt was torn and she didn't have her wand in her holster.

"Shit," he swore as he looked at her, dragging her over to a chair, "What happened to you?"

She rolled her eyes and punched him in the arm. To her surprise he actually gave a yelp and stepped back, glaring at her.

"Go and get Severus," she ordered. Malfoy glared at her but did as he was told. Clearly now wasn't the time to argue. He walked over to the bathroom, opened the door, yelled something unintelligible to the older man and shut the door again. Moments later, Severus too, walked out with just a towel around his waist.

"Oh for Merlin's sake," Hermione sighed, "Doesn't _anyone_ want to keep their clothes on?"

Severus didn't answer but simply sat at the table, his eyes running over her with concern.

"What happened to you?" He asked.

"November 6th 1944 is what happened to me," she rolled her eyes for the umpteenth time that day. That was all it took for Severus' mind to go into overdrive.

"Did you meet Grindlewald?" He asked immediately, walking over to his potions laboratory and retrieving a few things.

"No, we managed to avoid him," she told him, "I had completely forgotten about it and when I _had_ figured it out, Riddle dragged me to the battle instead of letting me get the teachers to deal with it the way it should have happened."

"That was a smart move on his part," Severus said as he came back, gesturing for her to face him so that he could deal with the few cuts and scraps that were on her arms and face, "I'm assuming that the damage to students was minimal?"

She nodded.

"If the battle had played out the way it was supposed to, then half of the Hogwarts population would be dead due to a spell gone wrong by one of the teachers," he informed her, "Whether or not he knows it, he saved a few hundred people."

She winced slightly as he ran a cloth over a cut on her forehead and felt it close up in an instant.

"You need to be careful what you do Miss Granger," Severus continued, moving over to her arms now, "But if mistakes are made, you can not help it. Is there anywhere else that you are hurt?"

"My back has curse scars all over it, but I'm sure that Riddle covered them all in that-"

"Riddle what?!" The two chorused together. Ah, the reason she came here. Severus immediately bent her over the table to inspect her wounds as she spoke.

She told them all about the last month, how he had been observing her, how she had been ignoring him and then how today that had all changed. She told them about the battle, how she had saved his life by almost killing him and how he had almost killed her in turn. She then told them about the offer he had made her while he had been cleaning up her back, but decided at the last minute not to tell them of her almost kiss. That was one thing that she had to figure out on her own, at least for now.

"He wants to teach you?" Draco asked her and then shook his head, "No," he said, "You can't do it. He'll suck you in and you'll never be able to escape. You can't do it."

"It may be the only chance she has to get inside his head Draco," Severus countered calmly, "He won't just give her his plans and secrets just like that. She has to gain his trust. We have to take risks."

"This isn't a risk, it's suicide!You and I both know how alluring that branch of magic can be Severus!" He exclaimed, "She won't be able to resist it."

"Oh that reminds me Malfoy," she smirked, "You and I are now engaged."

He stared at her incredulously for a few moments.

"That better not be the end of that sentence Granger," He growled and she had to giggle a little as she told them of the marvelous cover story she had come up with.

"So now if you ever need to drag me away from Riddle, you can do it," she smirked, "Draco's my husband to be and Severus can be the uncle I never speak to. If you feel that I'm getting too close to him, you can always come and save me."

Severus stood her back up and gave her a once over. It made her feel like she had a guilty conscience, which technically if you counted the information she hadn't given them, she did. Severus then resumed his place in his chair without saying another word.

"I still think it's too risky," Draco continued, "Even if we're able to get to her...You're over estimating her determination Severus!"

"And you are _under_ estimating her completely," he countered, again with such a calm air. Draco looked from one to the other, trying to pick up on what he had missed.

"Why do you have so much faith in her?" He asked quietly. Severus looked at Hermione for permission but she shook her head. She wasn't ready for Draco or anyone for that matter to hear about that.

"What aren't you telling me Granger?" He asked her quietly, standing up and walking over to her, leaning on the arms of her chair and pinning her to the back.

"It's none of your business Malfoy," she glared at him, then turned to Severus, "And if you tell him I'll hex you into oblivion."

"Hermione-"

"No," she said to him firmly, then she turned back to Malfoy, "Now get out of my way. I have world to save."

"Don't take lessons from him," he commanded, still not moving.

"Move," she ordered.

"Promise me you won't do it."

"Malfoy I'm not even sure that the lessons will be on offer after the way he reacted to-"

Oh crap. Malfoy definitely wasn't going to move now. He leaned in closer, looking her directly in the eye.

"Reacted to what?" He asked. Even Severus was curious as she saw him lean in from his seat. There was no getting out of this what so ever. She was stuck.

"While he was cleaning up my back," she told them quietly, "He made the offer and then he sort of went quiet. He turned me around to face him-"

"While you were half naked?" Draco asked, looking almost disgusted.

"Yes while I was half naked," she snapped at him, then calmed down again and looked down at the floor, "And then he sort of... and then he almost.... but then he went all funny and almost hit me and then he stormed out. It was really weird."

She managed to slip out after that as the two of them argued. Draco was now in hysterics, wanting to take her home instantly, saying that she didn't deserve to go through with any of that no matter how capable she was for the job. Severus in turn told him to stop being a petulant child and discuss the problem like an adult. He said that Hermione could more than look after herself and that she could always stop when she wanted to.

"He will destroy her!" Was the last thing she heard from Draco as the door shut behind her. She really didn't need to listen to them go at it right now. She left the seventh floor and made her way down to the dungeons as quickly as possible. She needed to change her clothes, she needed to take a shower, but more than that, she needed to think about her options and what Riddle's little tantrum meant. Unfortunately that would have to wait.

"Stop Miss Evans," a familiar, cold voice said from the shadows. Hermione glared up at the ceiling, mentally asking it what she had done to deserve this. She turned to see Professor Callus striding towards her, his face expressionless before her eyes.

"What are you doing down here?" He asked her.

"I'm going to go and get changed sir," she told him, "Being covered in blood isn't exactly comfortable."

"Watch your cheek," he said, "You may have had Mr. Riddle to lean on today-"

"I did nothing of the sort sir," she shot back, not really in the right frame of mind to take his insults, "I fought just as much, if not more than he did."

"Then why are you so covered in blood?" He asked her, a smirk creeping to his lips, "If you were as brilliant as your peers say-"

"It's because my line of fighting is a little more close and personal," she sneered at him, slowly, so that he did not feel threatened in anyway, drawing her daggers from her hidden holster behind her back, "Surely you may understand that knife fights are a little more bloody than duels. Specifically when you're winning."

She pointed them, hilt first in his direction.

"And where did you learn such a skill?" He asked her, still gazing down at the blades.

"With all do respect professor," she told him, her voice cold and heavy, an ice queen ready to strike, "That is my business and not yours."

"Seeing as you are bringing illegal weapons into this school, I would say that it is very much my business," he glared at her, "Fifty points from Slytherin for endangering the other the students and I will have to confiscate those."

She didn't hand them over as he expected her to. She instead replaced them back in their holster at the small of her back and glared at him.

"You'll have to pry them from my cold, dead fingers first."

She knew that she would get in so much trouble for it, but at this point in time, she didn't really care. Hermione had learned a long time ago never to hand over her wand; therefore the same rule had to apply to her daggers as well. She turned her back on him and walked away, further down into the dungeons. She could almost see the scowl on his face and would later dread what he might have planned for her, but at the moment, all she wanted to do was get into a bath tub and think.

She got to the Slytherin common room, tired, frustrated and confused but most of all, hostile. Several first years tried to speak to her but she ignored them for fear of yelling at them. Christa tried to say something when she got inside the dormitory, but she just stomped past her, straight into the bathroom.

She looked in the mirror as the hot water filled the tub. No matter how much Severus had cleaned her up, it still hadn't helped. She had dirt on her face, and dried blood where her scratches had been. Her back was still killing her and it added to her frustration. The least Riddle could have done was finish what he had started. She took her hair out of her bun and watched as it turned back into its messy uncontrollable state. The Death Eaters were rampant, Callus was all over the place, Draco and Severus were frizzy as hell and Tom and Voldemort just wouldn't sit straight. She tried so hard not to cry, she tried so hard not to scream out her frustrations with the world, but she lost. She knocked all the lotions off of the sink and threw one of her knives at the wall before sinking to the floor and placing her head in her hands. Why did this have to be so hard? She couldn't keep anything under control anymore and it was starting to show. She had to pull herself together, but suddenly...she just didn't know how. All her knowledge of books and spells couldn't help her here at all. It would protect her physically, but how was she supposed to keep herself from going to pieces in the midst of all this? Riddle was being a confusing jerk, Severus and Draco couldn't agree on anything and Callus was bound to try and have her thrown out after she lost her temper. The whole world was against her and she had let it get that way, just watching it happen without really seeing where it would lead to.

"I can't do this," she whispered into the darkness, "I can't do this at all."

"Can't do what?"

Hermione looked up to see Eileen standing in the doorway. She looked a little worse for wear, but she was at least standing. She walked over to the bathtub and turned the water off, seeing as it was just about to over flow and then walked back over to Hermione, helping her up off the floor.

"You look better," she tried to smile, but failed miserably.

"Thanks to you they didn't get very far," she smiled, "I can't imagine what might have happened if you had come a few minutes later."

"Me either."

They stood in silence for a bit until Eileen shook her head and walked her back into the now empty dormitory.

"What's the matter Hermione?" She asked her, "This past month you've been up and down like a yo-yo and now you're destroying the bathroom with your unusual weaponry."

"It's nothing Eileen-"

"Don't tell me it's nothing," she whispered calmly shaking her head, "Seeing you on the battle field today proved to me that you're one of the strongest people I've ever met. If something has you upset or confused, then it's not nothing. Has it got something to do with Tom?"

Hermione couldn't even look at her.

"Partly," she admitted quietly.

"I'm not surprised," Eileen gave her a sympathetic smile, "He's hard to deal with in general, but when he takes a special interest in you, I can imagine that it would be much worse."

Hermione looked at her blankly.

"Oh come on Hermione," Eileen laughed, "Don't tell me you haven't noticed anything. For the past month, all he's done is watch you and listen to you. Before that you used to flirt so much-"

"That," Hermione told her firmly, "Was not flirting. That was fighting between an idiot and the person he _thinks_ is an idiot."

"Hermione," Eileen smiled, "Tom doesn't normally speak, let alone fight with anyone in school. He gives a few orders to his friends and then he shuts up for the rest of the year. Arguing _is_ flirting with him. This is the most he's spoken to a student in years."

"That has to be the most ridiculous theory I've heard in years, and I was taught by Gilderoy Lockheart."

"Who?"

"Never mind."

There was another pause.

"Christa told me what happened with Potter in the hospital wing," she said with furrowed eyebrows, "I saw Cygnus and Abraxus afterwards and I have to say that I've never seen them so angry."

"I'm sure it was an accident-"

"No Hermione," she shook her head, "It's never an accident with Gryffindors. Druella saw him push the cart into you."

She sat there for a while, not really believing what she was hearing. Gryffindors just didn't do that in her time. Normally they were the _victims_ of that kind of stuff.

"Christa also told me that Tom picked you up and took you behind a curtain," she smiled, "What happened there?"

She needed to get it out, she needed answers and it seemed the only person that was willing to give them to her with an unbiased opinion was Eileen. Should she really tell her? Over the past few hours she had come to realize that she couldn't figure it out on her own, especially with what Eileen had just told her. Had she really had that much of an effect on him? It seemed so impossible, so unlikely, and yet the way he had touched her so gently, the way he held onto her waist...

"He almost kissed me," she blurted out and Eileen gasped in shock, "But then he almost hit me. It was like he was going to punish _me_ for what _he_ was about to do."

"Wow," she sighed, "If I were you I'd keep that bit of information to myself. Do you have any idea how many girls would kill for that?"

"I really couldn't care less Eileen," she said as she stood from the bed they were sitting on and walked over to a window, "I need to know what's going on inside his head. I have to put a stop to what ever is happening before it ruins everything."

"Why do you have to stop it?" She smiled, "I think you and Tom would make a nice pair. You're both brilliant, you're both strong....Tom's never been close to anyone let alone had a girlfriend before. I think you would be good for him."

"But he wouldn't be good for me," she whispered, "The things he would do to me as a person... I shudder to think what I would be like if I was involved with him."

"Do you _want_ to be involved with him?"

"No," she said firmly.

"Are you seriously telling me that you don't find him the least bit attractive?"

"Are you seriously telling me that you do?"

"Come on Hermione," she rolled her eyes, "He's the most gorgeous boy in this castle and you know it."

"He may be physically appealing, but his soul is ugly. I would never be able to get past that."

"So you do like him," she smirked.

"What?" She asked, screwing up her face in confusion.

"You said that he was, and I quote, "Physically appealing"," she smiled, "You do like him."

"I do not," she said indignantly.

"There's nothing wrong with it Hermione," she smirked.

"Yes!" She yelled at her, her hands diving to her hair as she paced the room, "Yes there is something wrong with it! He's pure evil! I can not be attracted to someone like that."

"Well whether you like it or not, pure evil is attracted to you."

"If he liked me then why would he decide to try and hit me?"

"Open your eyes," Eileen told her, standing and putting her hands on Hermione's shoulders, "He reacted that way because he's not used to having feelings for anyone. He's never been attracted to a girl in his life and he just doesn't know how to handle it. I'll bet you anything that it's confusing him just as much as it's confusing you."

"Eileen I'm engaged!" She suddenly yelled out and the other girl gasped.

"Who to?" She asked, walking her over to the bed again.

"Lieutenant Draco Malone of the Italian Wizarding Army," she sighed, pulling out the ring that Ron had given her only a few months before hand and showing it to her. Ron had saved up for months to get her an engagement ring, something that would be special to them. It was a gold band with a ruby centre and leaf-shaped diamonds surrounding it.

"It's beautiful," Eileen gasped.

"I know," Hermione smiled quietly, but then her face turned dark, "I may not have a hope in hell of ever seeing him again, but I still love him. More than anything."

"Why don't you ever wear it?" She suddenly asked, "Why not show the world that you're taken?"

"Because even though I have hope, it could be entirely false," she whispered, "Draco might have been captured by Grindlewald the night I came here. For all I know, he's lying in a ditch somewhere. But I can't move on because there's that tiny voice inside my head telling me that he's still alive."

Eileen looked down at the ring for another moment and then covered Hermione's hand with her own.

"I have to say that I don't envy your position, even if I do envy your jewelry," she smiled, "But when and if you do decide to move on, I still think Tom would be a fine choice."

"Eileen..." she groaned.

"Think about it Hermione," she smiled again, "He's smart, he's a strong fighter, he's more than likely going to be Minister for Magic one day..."

"Eileen he is incapable of love," she told her and she looked at her confusedly.

"He's never had a girlfriend before but that doesn't mean-"

"He hasn't shown the least bit of affection to _anyone_ since I've been here, whether it be boy or girl, plutonic or otherwise. He has compassion for no one, his empathy is nonexistent and he would surely die before he trusted another human being. You can't have love without any of these properties."

"It doesn't mean he can't learn," she told her, "And personally, I think you may be the girl to teach him."

"I highly doubt that," Hermione muttered, "May I trust you to keep this quiet. Only two others know of my engagement."

"If one of those others is Cygnus you can guarantee that Abraxus knows now too," Eileen smiled, "But I swear that I will keep this conversation a secret."

"Thank you," she said, standing and moving over to the bathroom.

"Oh, Hermione," Eileen called after her and she turned, "Do be sure that you don't throw your knives in the wrong direction. I shudder to think of what might happen if one was aimed at the door and someone happened to walk in."

Hermione gave her one last smile before she walked into the bathroom once more. Being with Eileen had certainly helped. Talking out her fears that Ron/ Draco Malone might be dead was a small comfort. She removed her knife from the wall and gazed down at it. It had been the first time that she had ever used them in combat and she had hoped that it might be a while before she had to again. She stripped down, replacing everything in its holsters and climbed into the now chilly water. Somehow she didn't seem to mind the fact that it was cold, in fact it was almost soothing against the stinging of her back. She leaned her head back against the rim of the tub and picked up her engagement ring. It seemed like only yesterday that Ron had given this to her...

_They were huddled up together inside her room after one of the Order's victory parties, both laughing at what they had seen and done._

"_Did you see Harry's face when Ginny poured champagne all over him?" Ron laughed, "I've never seen him look so stunned in his life."_

"_I know what you mean," she laughed to, flopping down on her bed, "He looked like a fish out of water."_

_They laughed together as Ron sat beside her. She rested her head on his shoulder with a smile on her face. No matter what happened on the battle field, as long as she had him, she would never feel alone. He was her rock, the one thing that kept her focused, the one thing that gave her the will to carry on. She didn't know what she would do if she ever lost him. She felt him wrap his arms around her and kiss the top of her head before lifting her chin to face him._

"_You have to be the most beautiful girl I've ever seen," he smiled._

"_You're completely drunk off your face Ronald Weasley," she smiled back._

"_That's beside the point," he told her and they laughed again, "Even if I wasn't, you'd still be the most beautiful, the most intelligent and the most gracious girl in all Britain."_

"_Well if that was true, then why won't you sleep with me?" She asked him, the smile still on her face even though she really wanted to know. She had tried seducing him, tried coercing him in everyway possible and still he remained head strong._

_He sighed and he looked at her with the same goofy crooked smile that she loved._

"_Because I want our first time to be special," he told her, moving from the bed to the floor before her on one knee with her hands in his, "Because you deserve nothing but the best."_

_He kissed each of her hands as she spoke to him._

"_I already have the best," she told him, "I have you."_

_He reached into his pocket and pulled out a tiny velvet box. Hermione gasped at the ring inside. It had to have cost a fortune._

"_I want to have you for the rest of my life Hermione," he whispered to her, "I want to know that if I die on the battle field tomorrow that I'll have you to wait for on the other side. I want to be sure that the moment this war is over that I have someone as amazing, as beautiful as you ready to have gorgeous children with me to keep my mother happy," she giggled at that as tears flowed down her cheeks, "Someone who wants to grow old with me, someone who would go through eternity with me and be happy."_

_She smiled down at him through her tears, already knowing her answer before the question was even asked._

"_Hermione Jean Granger," he finally said, "Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"_

_She stood from the bed and pulled him up with her, placing her arms around his neck with a watery smile._

"_I would be a fool if I didn't."_

That was the last time she had been truly happy. Exactly one year and two months ago. She smiled down at the ring as fresh tears came to her eyes. They had kept their engagement secret from everyone, so that they wouldn't have to face questions. They were only sixteen after all. Getting engaged and married so young would have prompted some speculative looks and they didn't want that. They had planned to tell everyone after the war, and then they would get married some time in July with lots of guests and flowers and music and dancing. They had decided that their wedding would function as a celebration that the Dark Lord had finally been defeated. They would have been so happy. But Hermione didn't even know if Ron was still alive. As she had said before, she had hoped that he would be waiting for her somewhere, but with no way to find out, that hope could be entirely false. She tried so hard to hold onto his face, to let it give her strength in these times, but it was just so hard.

She placed the ring back in the front pocket where it always stayed, where she slipped it on every now and then when she required courage. Her eyes then found her daggers. It had been so long since she had thought of their meaning, so long since she had gazed upon their rubies and cried. She picked one up and saw that dried blood remained on the hilt and blade. She could still hear the screams of the night that had prompted their making; she could still see the faces of those who made her suffer...

_Pavarti screamed as a red hot poker was pushed onto her skin and Hermione turned her head away in horror. This had just been a simple mission to retrieve a package, something that the two of them had done time and time before. How could it have gone so horribly wrong? The Death Eater who held onto her laughed without repentance and she so wished that she could reach her wand to silence him. She had never been good with wandless magic and now that she truly needed it...The prospect of what awaited the two friends was dire and frightening._

_The Death Eater pushed the poker onto the girl again, eliciting a scream that was far more chilling than before._

"_Tell us where they are!" He roared at her, "Tell us where the Order of the Phoenix and Potter are hiding or this iron is going to go many places it shouldn't!"_

"_You can torture me all you want you piece of slime," she answered once she had caught her breath, "But I won't tell you anything!"_

"_Maybe we should try the other one?" The Death Eater holding Hermione suggested, "She's been awfully quiet."_

"_You know our orders Rosier," the other one said, "He wants her alive and untouched. Just hold her there and watch this one scream!"_

_Hermione struggled further still, but kept quiet as Pavarti screamed again. After an hour or so the other Death Eater, Lestrange from what she could hear, decided that he'd had enough. To her horror, he didn't cast Avada Kedavra, as anyone with a sense of conscience or mercy would have. He instead stabbed her in the heart with the poker and watched as she struggled for breath a smile of distorted glee. Hermione gazed down at her friend with tears in her eyes before they took her out of the Malfoy Manor stables and started to walk her upwards. She could hear more screams the further up they went and she assumed that some of the rooms in this wing had been converted to torture chambers. Inwardly, she hoped that they would just kill her instead of worrying about torture, but then she remembered what Lestrange had said. The Dark Lord wanted her alive and untouched._

"_Oh God," she whispered._

"_Oh God is right sweetheart," Rosier told her, wrapping his arms around her waist as he dragged her, "The Dark Lord wants to see you personally. I guess that's what you get for being the best friend of Potter. Royal treatment."_

_They deposited her inside a grand room of silver and green with leather furniture and marble floors. She stood in the middle, alert and ready for her fate. If she was going to die today, then she would make sure that she went down fighting. She had no weapons, she had no wand, but she wasn't going to let him win so easily. If he wanted information, he wouldn't get it, if he wanted her to join him, she would not be swayed. She would not give in no matter what._

_She suddenly heard voices from outside._

"_...Why can't I have a go?" Someone asked._

"_Because more than one would alert the Dark Lord," someone hissed back, "He's probably brought her here as a reward for me anyway for the work I've done over the past month. I'm sure he won't mind me unwrapping my present a little earlier than expected."_

"_If she dies, it'll be on your head," another one spoke, "I don't think she's here for anyone but the Dark Lord."_

"_Oh please," the second told the third, "What the hell would he do with her? She's Hermione fucking Granger! Best friend of Potter! She would die before she gave us information and it's not like the Dark Lord has a libido. It only makes sense that he gives her to those that do."_

_The door then cracked open and the owner of the second voice slipped inside with an evil grin lining his lips. Augustus Rookwood. The Death Eater's leading rapist extraordinaire. There wasn't a man alive, except maybe the Dark Lord, who could surpass his cruelty and his malice. Hermione suddenly found herself wishing for a weapon, anything she could hit him with or throw at him as he slowly advanced on her with a predatory glint in his eye._

"_You are going to taste lovely," he said as he took a few steps forward and she took a few steps back._

"_The Dark Lord wanted me alive and untouched," she tried to remind him with a shaky voice, she knew she was close to tears for fear of what was going to happen to her._

"_Only so that I could touch you later," he smiled again, "But I prefer sooner rather than later."_

_He then lunged at her, tackling her to the ground and picking her up again. She tried hitting him as much as she could but nothing she did caught his attention. She was then thrown onto the bed before him. She tried to crawl away but he caught her ankle and dragged her back, pulling her beneath him as he reached beneath her shirt to the cool flesh of her belly. He crushed his lips to hers before she could scream. He bit her so that she gasped from pain and open her mouth as he slipped his tongue inside, invading her, taking a little of her innocence with every swipe. He ripped open her shirt as she struggled against him, trying to kick him, trying to scream, trying to get away frantically as he fondled her and squeezed so tightly she felt herself bruising. She thrashed about as hard as she could as he went for her jeans but it was no use as he ripped them from her body and returned his mouth to hers. She felt his fingers where no man had ever been before and sure enough, tears started to coat her cheeks. She could feel his hardness against her hip as he began to undo his zip and prayed for anything, anyone to stop this from happening. She would do anything to make this nightmare go away._

_She never expected her prayers to be answered._

"_Avada Kedavra!" A silky, yet completely enraged voice said from somewhere up above and Rookwood's body suddenly fell in a heavy heap on top of her. She squirmed as quickly as she could out from under him and over to the head of the bed, covering herself with a pillow and crying her eyes out. She felt a pair of cool, soft hands on her shoulders and she froze as she looked up into the eyes of Severus Snape. They were the softest brown she had ever seen them be, filled with empathy and guilt for not arriving sooner. He took off his outer robes and placed them around her and she found herself leaning into him as he embraced her. It was the beginning of a new alliance as far as she could see._

_After a moment, when she had calmed down again he looked at her._

"_Come," he spoke softly, "I'll take you back."_

That had been almost two months after Ron had proposed and she had never been the same again. She hadn't told anyone what had transpired that night and she had made Severus swear that he would never breathe a word. She promised herself after that night that she would never let herself be so vulnerable again, that she would murder any monster like Rookwood who came within her sights. She would never let anyone feel the pain that she felt, she would never let herself feel so helpless again and she would never allow anyone to break her so badly for a second time. The distress of Harry's death, of Ron's grief, of the Order going to pieces, was nothing compared to that. She wouldn't allow herself to feel that way ever again.

She had healed only somewhat within the months that followed. She was never called for assignments anymore, seeing as she had failed her last one and gotten Pavarti killed. The Order had lost faith in her, even though she didn't try to dissuade them from it. She kept quiet when they said that she took on too much responsibility too soon, she didn't breathe a word when they said she was still a child. Ron came in to defend her and so did Harry, but she would never defend herself. She remained a part of the Order of the Phoenix but never volunteered information again, seeing as she would be ignored anyway. It was on her seventeenth birthday that she finally found herself again...

_She had just returned from her celebrations with a smile on her face. Ron and Harry had been so lovely putting all that together for her. The flowers, the balloons, the music, everything was wonderful. Ron had wanted to come back with her and celebrate with a little make out session, but she had told him that she was tired...just like she did every night now. She still loved him, but she could still feel Rookwood's hands all over her body every time Ron touched her. Sometimes she was able to ignore it and remember that Ron would never do anything like that, that he would've protected her from that vile creature if he had been there, but most of the time she just felt sick whenever her fiancée came near._

"_How were the festivities?" Severus asked from an armchair._

"_Wonderful," she smiled at him, "Why didn't you come? It would have been lovely to have you there."_

"_The rest of the Order isn't as agreeable as you are to my presence Miss Granger," he told her softly, standing from his seat, "However, I do have a gift for you."_

_She smiled at him as he walked over to behind the couch and grabbed a wooden box about the size of a men's shoe box. He brought it over to her and offered a small smile._

"_I hope you find them useful," he said quietly._

_She took the box from him with an offer of thanks and unhitched the lid. The most beautiful knives she had ever seen grinned up at her. She looked at him with shock._

"_I had them specifically made for you," he said quietly, "In the hopes that you may never find yourself in that position again."_

_She didn't need to ask what he was talking about as Rookwood's face flashed in her mind. But now that she had the daggers in her hands, she didn't feel threatened by it. She felt powerful, she felt in control and for the first time in months, she felt as though she could make a difference._

"_The blades are made of white gold," he explained, "And those are blood rubies on the hilt."_

"_Red and gold?" She asked him with a smile._

"_I thought that a bit of courage might be needed," he explained, "There are several enchantments on the blade to make them move quicker and contour to your grip. There's one of my own invention that allows only you to use them. The holster has a charm to make them invisible beneath clothing so that you may carry them with you everywhere you go."_

_There was a small pause as he gazed down at them too._

"_I have not dealt in blades since I was your age," he spoke again, "But I am willing to pass on what knowledge I can recall. You should be able to figure out the rest."_

_She placed the knives carefully on the coffee table and embraced him for the first time since that night. They had never been close, they never would be, but the fact that he cared enough to do something like that for her was just filling. She didn't feel empty anymore. After a moment's shock, she felt him slip his arms around her as well._

She was a changed woman after that night, but this time for the better. The next day she made out with Ron for a full hour to make up for the time she missed, she started volunteering for missions again, even if she was rejected and she became more confident in herself around all her peers.

Hermione rubbed the dried dirt and blood from the hilt of the blade. What she wouldn't give just to see them again. Just Harry and Ron, no others. Harry may have been frightened, but he still loved her and Ron always supported her no matter what she did. She just wished that she could see their faces one more time, just to ask them if she was doing the right thing. But she couldn't and that was the way it had to be.

She climbed out of the bathtub a few minutes past midnight. She was shocked at the time. She had been remembering things for hours and hadn't even noticed. Hermione grabbed her nightgown and draped it over her body, slipping beneath the covers of her four-poster for a trifled sleep. Tomorrow would be another day, but now, she just wished that tomorrow would never come.


	10. Dramatic Happy Endings Don't Exist

**Hello Lovely Readers!**

**My god I just have inspiration coming out of my ears for this story. So much in fact that I managed to get two chapters done in one day! I hope you like it as much as I do.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of this magical world.

* * *

**

Chapter Ten: Dramatic Happy Endings Don't Exist.

She woke the next Sunday to something heavy and very, very noisy on top of her.

"HERMIONE! GET UP!" It said.

"Let her sleep," someone else hissed, "She had a hard day yesterday and she's exhausted. I'm sure the world will understand if she-"

"She can't miss breakfast!" Christa told them all, "You know what's going to happen. Dippet's never honored a girl before!"

"Why the hell would he want to honor me?" She asked groggily, opening her eyes slowly to the morning light. She gazed around the room to see all the others up and dressed, ready for the new day.

"You and Tom saved several people yesterday," Amelia said, shoving Christa off of her and sitting next to her on the bed, "You saved half the school from being murdered, with all the bad men you killed."

"Killing is not something to be celebrated," she said turning over, feeling quite grumpy this morning, "I'm not going to breakfast if that is the case."

"But you must!" Christa yelled, "They don't give girls awards often, let alone girls from Slytherin. You have to go, you just have to!"

"She's right Hermione," Eileen said quietly from her other side, "None of us has ever been honored like this before."

"If it were for anything else, I would go," she told them all, "But celebrating the end of a life, no matter how horrible it may have been, is not something that I can do. If he really does end up giving me a trophy or something, one of you can go and get it."

"I'll do it," Eileen told her, "I owe you big time for saving my life yesterday anyway."

Hermione smiled up at her in thanks and watched as she ushered the other girls out of the dormitory. She just didn't have the energy to go through some sort of award ceremony today, not after everything that happened, everything that she had thought about, especially with _him_. In the hours where she had tried to sleep but failed, she thought of him, of how he had treated her before he had almost kissed her and how he had treated her immediately after. She had to admit that Eileen was right. He didn't speak to any of the other girls, he barely even registered that they existed. He only ever acknowledged _her_ presence when he saw them in the library together, or in the corridors or eating in the Great Hall. He had an interest in her, that was for sure, that had been the plan all along, but she was more than skeptical about whether it was romantic or not. It just wasn't possible for the Dark Lord to feel anything like that. She may have had her doubts in the beginning as to his emotional state, but after observing him for a month, she realized that her fears were folly. There was no way that he could feel anything like that towards her.

She turned over onto her stomach and tried to go back to sleep. Her thoughts had been doing her more harm than good lately and she was starting to feel their effects. What she wouldn't give for a dreamless sleep, just one peaceful night where she didn't have to think or worry about anyone or anything. Just one night where she could lye in her warm bed, close her eyes and for once, just rest. It was what she longed for and yet she knew it would never come. She opened her eyes again with a sigh and sat up in her bed. She still wouldn't go to breakfast, but that wouldn't stop her from getting up and getting herself dressed and ready for today. No doubt Callus would be trying to gain his revenge, Riddle would want to speak with her and the Headmaster would be mad at her for missing this occasion that he had set up. But altogether, just like last night, she really didn't care. She could wrap Dippet around her little finger, Callus had no grounds what so ever and it was a Sunday so Riddle really had no _reason_ to see her at all. She could avoid him like the plague at least until Monday morning.

She stood from her bed and walked over to a mirror, wishing more than anything that she had a wand. Her hair was such a mess. She brushed it as much as she could but it just wouldn't budge. Out of desperation she ventured into the bathroom, wanting to find something that may help. With a sigh of relief she found a bottle of _Sleek-Ezy solution_ just above some wart remover inside the cabinet. She would have to thank the girl this belonged to profusely after breakfast and get her another bottle. Hermione rubbed it all through out her hair and watched with relief as it shrunk and curled and became sleek and shiny. She decided that today might be a good day to leave it out, seeing as it wasn't very windy and the first flakes of snow were beginning to fall. She moved over to her trunk and selected an outfit for the day. She wore a black, knee high dress with white trimming on the shoulder sleeves and white gloves to match along with the customary and obligatory black heels that went with it. It was one of the more elegant pieces that the Board of Governors had given her and it made her feel as such. She looked at it in the full length mirror in the bathroom, trying to get it done up at the back, but those corset ribbons were just so hard to lace up on her own. She heard the door to her dormitory open and she called out with relief.

"Can someone please come and help me do this up?"

She heard that someone walk across the dormitory and into the bathroom and she couldn't help but roll her eyes.

"What are you doing up here?" She asked him as she turned around to face him, "Aren't you supposed to be at breakfast?"

"Technically so are you," he said coldly, "Turn around so I can do this up."

"Like I'm going to make that mistake again," she sneered at him.

He walked up to where she was standing and turned her forcefully. She fought him as much as she could to try and turn back but he just kept turning her in the direction of the mirror. Clearly he was through being gentle. He then pressed his body to hers, pinning her against the hand basin, forcing her to lean on it.

"You wanted help, now I'm giving it to you," he told her, glaring as he looked down at her back.

"You mean forcing it on me," she glared back.

"Either way," he seethed. He looked down at her back again, his expression changing to curiosity for the briefest of moments, "You're back hasn't healed?"

"You didn't exactly finish, did you?" She said sarcastically.

He seemed to glare at himself in the mirror before turning back to her.

"Take your arms out of the dress so that I can look at it properly," he ordered her and she glared at him again.

"Riddle you're just going to-"

"We do not have time to waste," he cut her off, "Now take your arms out of the dress or I will take the dress off completely."

He was definitely over being gentle. Knowing that she wasn't in much of a position to argue, she slowly slid her arms out of the dress and held it closely to her, leaving her back once more exposed to him. He dragged a vile from his pocket and began to rub its contents all over her scars. She felt them knitting together instantly.

"Why couldn't you just use that yesterday?" She asked him quietly, feeling intimidated by having him behind her for a second time.

"Because you need the Holy Palmer's Brew to clean the wounds before I sealed them with Nightingale Solution," he told her just as coldly as before, still rubbing the oil onto her back. His strokes today were rougher, hasher, something rather symptomatic of his mood as far as she could see.

"Why are you here?" She asked him quietly, remembering Eileen's words and her own from the night before as she slipped her arms inside her dress without being asked. He instantly began to lace it up.

"I was told that you were going to miss breakfast due to righteousness," he said, still expressionless, "I won't allow it."

"If Dippet is going to honor my body count then I do not wish to be present," she told him.

"It's a pity you don't have a choice then," he told her, "You are going and that is final."

"You have no right-"

"I have every right," he hissed at her, "Because I am superior to you, because you are not worth the dirt I walk on and because you do not deserve what they are going to give to you today!"

"You have no idea what worth is!" she yelled at him when he was finished and she swung round to face him, "You value pain and cruelty and power over the things that really matter. How could you _ever_ know my true worth?!"

"Because you don't have any!" He roared at her, "You have nothing that I could ever possibly want! Nothing!"

"That wasn't what you thought yesterday, was it?" She spat at him.

She gasped as the back of his hand connected with her cheek. She looked up at him again, shock written over her face. She raised her fist to strike him when she had recovered but he caught it before she could make the blow.

"I hit you," he said, low and cold and dangerous, "Not the other way around."

He then grabbed her other hand and drove her into the wall so that she had no where to run to.

"Dippet has arranged a celebration for us in the Great Hall," he told her quietly, calmly, yet with a menacing edge, "We will enter arm in arm, looking happy as can be and you will make no sign of trouble what so ever. You will play your part, keep your temper under control and your mouth shut the entire time, or else I will have to dispose of you. Believe me when I say that you wouldn't want that option. This ceremony will go off with out a hitch. Are we clear?

All she could do was nod as fear took hold of her body. He had always had the power to frighten her, but this was ridiculous.

"Good," he whispered.

He then grabbed a hold of her gloved hand and dragged her off to the Entrance Hall. She shook the entire time and was unable to control her nerves. She could feel the cold of his hand seeping through her glove and she tried so hard not to scream and make a run for it. She knew that it would either result in being dragged straight back or her death.

When they stopped at the entrance hall, he turned and gave her a once over and pulled out his wand, changing the dress from black to green and the gloves from white to black.

"I liked it the way it was," she argued feebly.

"Too bad," he said as he placed her hair in a bun, leaving a few strands to frame her face.

"Is this day supposed to be important for you or something?" She asked him and he stopped in front of her.

"Put it this way," he told her as he gazed over her dress, "If all goes well today, then there's less for you to worry about in the future. It's not just the school in there Evans. There's the Minister for Magic, reporters from _The Daily Prophet, The Quibbler, Witch Weekly, the Wizarding Wireless Network _and_ The Magical Inquirer_, so I will _not_ allow you to stuff up."

"How do you know all this?" She asked him.

"That's none of your business," he snapped at her.

Hermione closed her eyes out of frustration. Could this get any worse? She was going to be hailed as a hero for killing a whole bunch of people, however evil, and she was going to be hailed as a hero next to _him_.

"Blush."

She looked up at him and stared.

"What?" She asked him, screwing up her face in confusion.

"When we get in there, you need to be blushing. That's what normal women do when they're surprised or caught unawares."

"Haven't you already made it clear that I'm not a normal woman?" She asked him with a smooth glare.

"Don't test me Evans," he glared back, "Now blush."

She just glared at him. She would not force herself to look like some idiot trophy just because he wanted her to. He could torture her all he liked but there was no way in hell that that was going to happen. He growled in frustration and threw his hands up in the air.

"Why does it have to be _her_?" He asked the ceiling.

"_You_ aren't exactly a picnic Riddle," she muttered under her breath.

"Blush Evans," he said menacingly, pulling out his wand again and waving it in her face.

"You can't torture me right in front of the Hall Riddle," she glared at him, "I'll make too much noise."

"That's why they invented silencing charms," he glared back. He then moved right up to her, so that his wand was at her throat. When he felt something pointy and sharp directed at his stomach, he knew that he had made a mistake.

"It's also why muggle weaponry comes in handy," she told him coldly, "And why concealment charms are always useful. I'm not going to blush, so get on with whatever else you're going to do."

He growled again but said nothing more as he took her roughly by the arm and wrapped it around his own before she could make a single sound of protest, and opened the doors to the Great Hall. He had been completely right, she noticed as tumultuous applause broke out at their arrival. She slipped into her role easily as the humble maiden, and he himself looked pleasantly surprised seeing as he had just threatened to torture her. As she looked around the hall, each house was dressed a little more decently than what they normally would on a Sunday. All the ladies were in dresses and all the men in suits or something of the sort. It became clear that Dippet had made this a special occasion. There were ribbons everywhere and there was a patch of floor at the front for the room that was presumably going to be used for dancing. She tried very hard not to roll her eyes as photographers flew around them. Hermione could hear many of the reporters speaking in hushed tones, either into some sort of recording device or a live microphone, commenting on their attire, how they were standing together, how Hermione had the most marvelous blush on her face and was so humbled by the audience that they had received. It really wanted to make her puke. She knew for a fact that she wasn't blushing at all.

"Tom, Hermione," Dippet smiled from his podium, "Please, come and join me at the front."

They looked at each other simultaneously and smiled then walked together, arm in arm up to the front of the hall. The current residents of Hogwarts themselves were buzzing with how happy the pair looked together. Both found themselves wondering how convincing they should be. They walked at regular pace and smiled at those who smiled at them, seemingly the perfect couple, even though it was public knowledge to all but one that they couldn't stand one another.

"I have a little surprise for the two of you," Professor Dippet told them and the rest of the hall once they had reached the podium, "I know that all this may come as a sudden shock, but after your actions yesterday and saving the school from invasion, I thought it necessary to honor you as the heroes you are."

"These two students have to be the most talented and brave young witch and wizard that we possess here at Hogwarts," he told them, "They were not present at Hogsmeade when it was first attacked by Grindlewald and his followers yesterday morning. They could have stayed within the castle, safe and sound and yet they chose to endanger their lives to save their fellow students. For this, we honor them."

"To Mr. Tom Marvolo Riddle," Dippet continued as Tom stepped up to join him, "I present you with yet another award for Special Services to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and Order of Merlin, First Class. Congratulations Tom."

The whole hall erupted into cheers as Tom shook his hand and took his awards. Hermione noticed that Dumbledore was smiling but not applauding the young man. When he saw her looking he gave her a nod of greeting, which she returned. She wished that she could somehow communicate her distress to him, but there was no such way without Tom noticing that something was off. She was stuck on her own.

"And finally," Dippet continued as Hermione took her queue to approach him, "To Miss Hermione Jean Evans, an award for Special Services to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and Order of Merlin First Class. It is my great honor to announce that Hermione Evans is the first ever witch to receive such awards."

The hall once more erupted into cheers and Hermione smiled graciously down at them as she shook Dippet's hand. It was only when the cheering stopped that Dippet resumed speaking and asked her to stay with him.

"I probably should have mentioned this earlier but I have a very special surprise for Hermione," Hermione turned her head as Dippet smiled down at her, taking her hand, "But in order for the rest of you to understand this prize, I must first tell you how I came upon this marvelous witch."

Hermione frowned politely at the wizard's words, but did not allow herself anything more than that. What surprise could he possibly have for her? She noticed that Tom too was frowning slightly. Apparently he hadn't heard about that bit either. As she looked over to where Callus was seated, she saw that he was wearing the exact same look, so apparently it wasn't anything bad. Maybe Dippet had dismissed his charges or something?

"I was walking the grounds you see on one of the last days of the holiday break," he told them with a smile, "Tom of course had already arrived and so I was here watching over him and his friends to make sure that they didn't get up to any mischief."

The hall gave a collective chuckle; Tom included much to her surprise however with him it was so obviously fake. Or at least it was to her anyway. How everyone else in the world managed to fall for it was beyond her.

"Imagine my surprise," Dippet continued, "When I see a girl lying in the grass. She was beaten and bloodied and had obviously been in a battle or two before she had come here. Of course, I am absolutely useless with healing spells, so I called for Tom who is absolutely marvelous with them."

Tom chose that moment to place a hand on her shoulder, something that would have been comforting if it had come from anyone else, but she ignored it and let Dippet go on. They really were marvelous pretenders, the perfect pair in so many ways..

"Once he healed her I had managed to get a few words in before she passed out from exhaustion," Dippet continued, pulling her out of her daydream, "Her name was Hermione Jean Evans, and she was a soldier in the Italian Wizarding Army."

The hall gasped at this revelation and Hermione remembered that Dippet had asked them all not to ask her about what had happened before she arrived in this time. They had inadvertently respected his wishes, so the gasp and shock of the entire hall as far as she was concerned was completely valid. She looked down at the Slytherin table to see them all smiling up at her proudly. Some of them had known, but not all.

"She had told me of the most unfortunate circumstances from which she came," he told them all, "And how she had to leave her entire life behind in order to keep her country safe. She was left an orphan and as far as I could tell, completely alone. She of course, out of grief, had failed to mention a few things."

Hermione did her best not to wheel around and look at him in shock. She wanted nothing more than to yell at him to get on with it. Well, maybe she wanted to stamp on Tom's foot or stab him a few times, just that little bit more, but other than that...

"Last night," he said, finally getting to the point, "I was woken up by a very strange visitor."

She almost gasped, now knowing exactly what was going on. If Riddle didn't kill them, she knew that she would. How could they possibly have done this? They were risking everything!

"I was very pleased to learn, after several cups of coffee mind you, that Hermione wasn't alone after all. He was just as worn out and tired as she had been when she first arrived, but refused medical attention until he knew for sure that she was safe. Only after I had promised him a proper reunion did he consent to have Madam Gertrude look at him. Ladies and Gentlemen, Hermione my dear... I give you Draco Malone, her partner in the field and fiancée!"

Dippet gestured to the door behind the staff table which slowly opened to reveal a tired and ragged looking Draco Malfoy. He was wearing a soldier's uniform, his hair color had been changed to brown and he looked as though he had several days' growth of stubble on his chin. The disguise was so convincing that she knew he hadn't done it himself. Apparently she would get to murder the both of them.

The entire hall gasped as he walked slowly from the door, up to where Hermione was standing. She forced her mouth to stay open instead of clamped shut from anger, she allowed a solitary tear trail down her cheek instead of ripping him to shreds and all the while she stood there, frozen, ready to tear him apart. He drew level with her and she removed Tom's hand from her shoulder, which had been gripping her painfully tight. She could only imagine the kind of thoughts that were running through his head at the moment.

Draco offered her a soft smile as he took her hands in his. The entire hall was silent with anticipation; only those reporting live were speaking quietly into their devices.

"Hello Mi," he whispered softly, giving her a new nickname all of a sudden.

"Drake," she gasped, "I thought I....Grindlewald...and my parents."

"I know," he said, allowing a tear of his own to escape. Merlin, he wasn't lying when he said he was good. She let her hands roam over his face, letting the hall think she was remembering him, when in fact she was picturing where she was going to hit him and how many bruises she would leave. He then did something that she never thought he would do...kiss a mudblood.

Her eyes fluttered closed in that moment against her will and she fused her lips with his in that loan, sweet, solitary kiss. The only kind she would ever receive from him, and the kind she was definitely going to kill him for. When they pulled apart, they could see that their performance had been most convincing. The hall erupted into cheers of happiness and delight and as she looked around the room, she could see that not everyone was entirely happy. Callus was shocked but clapped none the less, Eileen looked as though she may faint and Tom looked fit to burst with either rage or confusion. She didn't know which and nor did she care, because at that point in time she was fighting her own.

"Now everyone, all our guests and acquaintances, please enjoy the brunch that we have set out for all of you," Dippet told them with a wide smile at the happy couple, "And if you would, Hermione, Draco, please lead the first dance."

So this had been his intent, to have a dramatic happy ending. Hermione had been told that Dippet was a sucker for them, but this was just ridiculous. With one last smile at Dippet and her new found fiancée, she was led onto the dance floor and played a slow, beautiful melody. She tried to watch out for Riddle, who seemed to have disappeared into thin air, as she allowed Draco to take her waist. It was now time for a little conversation.

"Where have you been?" She asked him in a whisper.

Translation: You idiot! What the hell are you doing here?

"I managed to escape Mi," he told her, his smile still firmly on his face, "I don't know how I did it, but I did. I'm here to look after you."

Translation: I'm here to save your ass.

"I can't believe that you're here. I could kill you for not writing to me."

It's not _my_ ass that needs saving anymore! I can't believe that you're here!.

"I know Mi. I'm not going to leave you again."

Get used to it Granger. I'm not leaving you on your own with him anymore.

She rested her head against his shoulder as they swayed to the melody.

"I'm so glad you're here."

If he doesn't kill you before this is over, I definitely will!

"Me too."

I'd like to see you try.

They paused for a moment, Hermione gripping him a little too tightly for him to be comfortable, but he didn't make a sound. He just continued to move her around the dance floor to the slow sway of the music.

"I like you're stubble," she smiled up at him feeling his beard.

Nice disguise. How much effort did Severus put in?

"I like your new clothes," he said, running a finger down the fabric of her sleeve, onto her bare arm and then taking her gloved hand.

Nice clothes. I take it they're Riddles doing?

"The Board of Governors gave them too me when I first arrived," she smiled.

They were mine to begin with. He change the color against my will..

"That was very nice of them," he smiled back.

He's already making his mark on you. You should be glad I'm here to stop it.

"I'm very grateful to Hogwarts and all they have done for me."

All you've done is given me an extra body to guard!

"I'm grateful to them for keeping you safe for me."

You're in too deep!

He then gave her another kiss.

I'm getting you out of here.

She kissed him back.

Like hell you are. You're the one leaving.

They continued to dance for a little while until Draco was tapped on the shoulder. Both turned to see Tom looking at them with a smile. Hermione's heart raced as she looked between the two of them. Tom had the perfect grin on his face, but danger lurked behind his eyes, a danger she hadn't seen since the first night she met him. It told her that she had to continue playing a long, no matter who she was going to be married to.

"Draco, darling," Hermione began with the formalities, "This is Tom Riddle. He's the head boy here."

"Is he another one of these people I have to thank for keeping you safe?" Draco asked, playing along nicely.

"I dare say that Hermione is capable of taking care of herself," Tom told them with another smile. They all laughed, Hermione wondering how the hell he could be so pleasant.

"I was wondering if I may steel her away for a dance," Tom asked politely, "I believe that Professor Slughorn would have a heart attack if his two favorite students didn't share at least one moment together this morning."

Draco looked down at Hermione and smiled. A silent communication told him that he had no choice in the matter. Either way, Hermione was going to have to speak with him. It may as well be here where there were witnesses.

"I suppose I could allow you a few moments Mr. Riddle," he said happily, "But I'll be back to steal her away for the next one."

"I'll return her to you in perfect condition then," Tom smiled back.

Hermione allowed Tom to take a hold of her hand and her waist and he lead her away from Draco who went to get a drink. It seemed that the entire hall was watching the two of them, just waiting for Tom to do something. He wasn't known for being social after all.

"Your _fiancé_ seems delightful," he said sarcastically. No need to keep up the charade now that the media was otherwise occupied with Draco.

"He is," Hermione told him, "And if you harm one hair on his head-"

"You'll what? Stab me?"

"You bet your arse I will," she glared at him openly, "You may think that you're a good liar, but you haven't seen me at my worst. I will _burry_ you under false accusations before you even come near me with thoughts of revenge. You will never see the light of day again."

"So defensive," he goaded, "So protective of her _lover_. Though I must wonder how much you love him indeed. There's no point in denying it to _me_ Evans. He isn't your fiancé is he? He's just someone you brought here to save you from me, from my temptations."

"No offense Riddle, but you aren't all that tempting when he's around," she said, trying to stand on his foot, but he dodged it by twirling her a few times.

"That wasn't what you thought yesterday, was it?" He repeated her own words to her with a smirk. She felt her cheeks redden and he rolled his eyes, "So _now_ I get my blush."

"It doesn't belong to you," she glared at him, "And neither do I."

"But you will," he said lightly, "That friend of yours isn't going to be around forever."

"If you even think-"

"If you don't want it to happen, get rid of him," he told her quietly, threateningly, "I don't give second chances Evans, just remember that."

Silence fell between them as they danced. She then had time to notice that all the eyes of Hogwarts residence had fell upon them and were waiting for an explosion. It was no secret among them that Riddle and Hermione were always at odds. They understood the need for a show when the press was paying attention, but even they knew that this amount of time together was too much. The entire hall seemed to sigh in relief when the song ended, but Tom still held her close. He leaned in, so close to her ear that she could feel his breath tickling her hair line.

"Get rid of him," he whispered, before he planted a kiss on her cheek, "Before I do it for you."

He left her shuddering in fright on the dance floor when Draco came to collect her. She knew then as she watched him retreat into the shadows of the room that he would not go down without a fight. This was going to be the hardest battle she would ever face.


	11. Concession

**Hello Lovely Readers!**

**I know it's been a while and this chapter is relatively short and not exactly my best, but please bare with me. I've gone back to school now so updates will be less frequent than before. Please carry on reading, I love getting all those wonderful reviews!**

**P.S** **Casimir Paulaski Day has made a banner for One Timeless Chance found here: http :// casimirpaulaskiday .deviantart .com /art / One-Timeless-Chance-120816667**

**I highly recommend you check it out, it's awesome!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of this magical world.**

* * *

Chapter Eleven: Concession

Hermione walked arm in arm with Draco up to her old quarters where she had been given permission to spend the night with him. Apparently they had no problem with almost married couples spending the night together doing what ever they pleased, though she could have sworn Professor Merry-Thought was trying to give her a good contraceptive charm to use. She draped herself over him as they walked next to Tom who was heading in the same direction as they were to his Head Boy quarters. Draco and Tom chatted together as though old friends, both keeping up the charade that they knew nothing about one another at all. Hermione wanted to smack the two of them repeatedly. All this pretending was doing her head in.

Tom soon left them to their quarters and Hermione gave him one last smile before they entered, just in case there was someone watching. The moment they were inside, she locked the door, placed silencing charms around the room, several shields and any other anti-spying wards she could come up with. She wasn't going to take any chances. She then lunged at Draco with all her mite and tackled him to the ground, hitting him as much as she could.

"YOU IDIOT!" She screamed at him, "DO YOU HAVE _ANY _IDEA WHAT YOU'VE DONE!"

Draco tried to cover himself from her attacks at first but realized he couldn't manage it at all. Her punches were coming too swiftly, her anger was too strong. When had her punches gotten this hard? He soon flipped her onto her back and pinned her wrists to the ground, positioning himself so that she couldn't move let alone hit him in the groin or any other sensitive spot below the belt.

"I am saving your life!" He yelled at her.

"No you're not!" she screamed back, "You're just endangering it! And your own!"

"You were the one who came up with the cover story-"

"To be used only in an emergency!"

"I'd say this is an emergency," he growled, "He kissed you in public!"

"On the bloody cheek!" She screeched.

"It wouldn't have mattered if it was on your arse Granger!" He roared back at her, "He still did it! He likes you!"

"If he likes me so much," she hissed at him, "Why did he hit me this morning?"

"Merlin, how are you so blind?!" He asked, "He's in denial and isn't handling it so well! He's never once loved anyone before and now that he's starting to, he's getting scared! If there's one thing he fears more than death, it's falling in love!"

"He is not falling in love with me!"

"No, he's not. At the moment, he just _wants_ you and that's even worse. He has the power to force you to do anything he wants and I'm not going to let that happen to you again."

She froze and looked at him with horror. Draco didn't look the slightest bit repentant for what he had said. He just looked her hard in the face, trying to show all the sincerity in the world. He wouldn't let that happen, never.

"Get off of me," she whispered.

"What?" He asked, unable to hear her.

"GET THE FUCK OFF OF ME!"

He jumped back when she had yelled at him and she stood once more, dusting herself off as tears started forming in her eyes. Why did men always have to make her cry? She would give anything to do it to them.

"Hermione I'm sorry," he apologized softly, "But Severus couldn't keep it from me, I had to know. I'm not going to just sit there and-"

"Yes you are," she said quietly as a tear escaped her boarders, "You and I are going to stage a scene in the morning where you get a letter from the army, requesting that you go back to the front. You will then disappear back into the Room of Requirement, where you will _stay_ unless called for."

"Hermione he will destroy you if-"

"He's already threatened to take your life!" She yelled as the flood gates opened and her anguish was released, "I will _not_ have another body on my conscience, do you hear me?! What Rookwood did shook me to the core, but it wasn't _his_ face that haunted me at night! It wasn't _his_ screams that never left me!"

Draco looked at her with more sympathy, more empathy than he had ever looked at anyone else before. She fought him at first when he tried to wrap his arms around her and offer comfort. She hit him and she hit him, but when she realized that he wasn't going to let go, she just let him stay where he was and leaned into his embrace. She clutched onto him for dear life, another broken soul who was willing to help her heal.

"I'm not going to leave you behind," he whispered, "I left my mother behind; I won't do the same to you."

She no longer had the strength to argue with him. She had been holding onto Pavarti's memory for so long... Rookwood may have defiled her, but he could never compete with the guilt she felt for leading Pavarti into a trap like that. She had looked back on that day every night before she went to sleep since it happened and she always spotted ways that she could have gotten them out, ways that they could have _both_ survived without any of the torture. Pavarti would have lived if she had just... Without warning, she felt Draco slide his hands beneath her knees and pick her up. She didn't fight him anymore, there was no point. He swiftly walked to another door that led to her bed chamber and placed her on the master bed that she had once more been given. It had been a long day and they both needed sleep. He removed her high heeled shoes and untied her hair from that ridiculous bun Riddle had made her wear. He then carefully tucked her inside the sheets of the bed and was about to leave when her hand shot out and grabbed his own.

"Stay," she whispered through bleary eyes. Whether she was just being nice or she genuinely wanted him to stay with her, he didn't know...but he obeyed. He removed his army jacket and shirt and climbed in on the other side behind her. She scooted closer too him, turning so that he could hold her. He had never seen her so vulnerable like this and cursed Riddle for what he had turned her into on the inside; this broken, tried little girl with no one to turn to and a task so monstrously great that she could never rest her weary eyes. Draco knew that this wasn't affection towards him, letting him hold her like this. This was a plea for comfort, for affection of her own. She wasn't asking him to love her, she wasn't asking him to save her. She was just asking for one moment where she could rest her eyes and know that she was safe. One moment where she could sleep a dreamless sleep that she had been longing for, for over a year. Within moments, the two drifted into that dreamless sleep, safe in each other's arms.

***

Hermione woke the next morning to a strong pair of arms curled protectively around her waist. It had been a long time since she'd felt a man hold her, a long time since she had _let _one hold her, but this was nice. As soon as she realized that it was Draco and not anyone else, she relaxed, knowing that she was safe for the moment, but she couldn't linger. The last thing she needed was an awkward morning or long winded speech or a lecture, so she untangled herself from him carefully and stood. He really was much more likable when he was asleep. He didn't say anything. She had no idea why she asked him to stay last night but she guessed she just needed the contact. She needed the reassurance that everything was going to be ok and that she had at least one person there that she could rely on to save her if needed.

She walked around the room and picked up some fresh school robes for the day, finally noticing that it was three in the morning. She _could_ stay inside her rooms and just wait for breakfast, but her stomach had other ideas and she didn't want to run the risk of having Draco wake up before she was ready for him. She instead decided that a trip to the kitchens was in order. She crept into the bathroom to change and just happened to catch a glance of herself in the mirror. If anything, she looked like she had the worst hang over in the world. She had bags under her eyes that would rival that of Albus Dumbledore, her clothes were wrinkled and creased beyond recognition, a bruise had popped up where Riddle had hit her and her hair was simply wild. Worst of all, she hand no wand to fix it. She sighed in frustration and washed her face, brushed her hair to the best of her ability and changed into her fresh robes. She didn't look nearly as pretty as she had the day before, but she could always ask Draco to help her with her hair later. As for the bruise, well...she could just tell everyone that they had had a rough night. She shivered at the thought but it was the only thing she could do. She would ask Dippet for permission to leave the school to get a new wand later on.

She tip toed out of the bathroom and out of her rooms all together, very careful not to bump anything or squeak the floor boards. When she was out in the early morning air she breathed a sigh of relief and walked in the direction of the kitchens, thinking all the while of her predicament. How was she going to make Draco leave? He was so frustrating, so adamant that he was going to protect her that he was now getting in the way. Why couldn't he just respect her wishes?

She huffed indignantly as she found the pear and tickled it silly. Because he was a Malfoy and because Malfoys always thought that they were right. Maybe she wasn't handling things as well as she needed to, but getting dark lord junior to trust her wasn't exactly easy. In fact, it was next to impossible but Draco had to remember that Severus had chosen her to do this for a reason. All Draco was doing now was making it harder to get her job done.

She moved swiftly down the stairs and into the kitchen where the elves were buzzing around trying desperately to get breakfast together on time. No doubt the procession yesterday had given them more work to do and had put their out of whack.

"What can Zigger be doing for you miss?" One of them bowed before her, but she wasn't listening. She had just spotted a familiar face at a counter top amongst the largest pile of potatoes she had ever seen. He was sitting there with a spoon and a large tub of ice cream with that same expressionless face that she loathed. She walked straight past the elf and over to him quietly. Her mind screamed at her to turn around and crawl back under the covers with Draco until she forgot the sight of his face but she ignored it. He wasn't going to trust her if she ran away.

He looked quite sullen, brooding almost. As though something had not gone his way and he was now sulking about it. If anyone could pull off sulking and still look like he owned the world, it was Tom Riddle. He had this air about him that just screamed superiority no matter what he did.

"Do you always stare at people while they're eating?" He asked her coldly out of the blue. He hadn't even turned to face her and yet he still knew she was there.

"People eating ice cream at three in the morning is a strange sight," she told him tonelessly.

"Technically it's three fifteen and I started at two," he responded curtly, hoping for the first time since he had met her that she would just disappear and leave him to his sweets. When she sat down, he realized that she wasn't going anywhere. With a bit of a groan he duplicated his spoon and placed the ice cream between them. At least then her mouth would be full and she wouldn't talk as much and he had never met anyone who could deny themselves a taste ofdouble chocolate swirl.

"I didn't even know you liked anything sweet," she offered as she spooned some into her mouth. It tasted heavenly and she decided that ice cream at three in the morning wasn't such a bad idea, "I always pictured you as one to stay up drinking firewhisky instead of eating ice cream."

He snorted and she looked at him.

"I prefer mead over firewhisky," he told her just as curtly and sharp, "And no one can turn down double chocolate swirl when it's offered."

He had her on that one.

"What are you even doing up?" He asked her, "Surely your _fiancé_ would have put you to sleep last night."

"Well since you already know that we aren't getting married, I think it's only fair to tell you that the day I shag Draco Malone is the day Hippogriffs come flying out of my backside."

His spoon paused on its way to his mouth and it shocked her when he let out a little chuckle.

"Wouldn't that make intercourse a little difficult?" He smirked.

She had to laugh at that and she knew then that the danger of him hexing her was over until she pissed him off again. He turned to look at her for the first time and almost fell off of his chair.

"What did you do to your hair?" He asked her, almost disgusted.

She rolled her eyes.

"Nothing," she told him, "I need a wand to keep it in order."

He gave a soft sigh and rolled his eyes as he pulled out his wand. With the same simple wand movements as the day before, he placed her hair in a delicate bun, tidy, silky and elegant. She gave him a nod of thanks.

"We'll go to Dippet and get a leavers pass when the rest of the school is up," he said, looking over his work, "You can't go through the year without a wand."

She didn't even bother to respond that she had planned on it anyway. This was one of the few times that he seemed almost human. She didn't want to ruin it. He placed his spoon on the counter before them and slowly moved a piece of hair behind her ear. His hand then slid cautiously down to her eye where his fingers moved to caress the purple bruise.

"You shouldn't antagonize me when I'm like that," he said softly, still gazing at the offending piece of flesh.

"Did you really expect me to sit there and let you insult me?" She asked quietly.

"No," he conceded, "But I expected you to be smarter about it."

"Well when someone drastically changes their personality over night I generally get a little peeved," she told him more with annoyance than anger.

He gave her a dark chuckle then and removed his hand, healing the bruise with his wand before turning back to the ice cream.

"If only you knew," he said, more to himself than her.

"Why don't you tell me then?" She asked. This was the opportunity she had been waiting for; the one time she could ask questions without being murdered or tortured for her own curiosity. He wheeled around to look at her in shock, at least that's what she thought it was. He hid his emotions so well that she couldn't tell what he was feeling at all.

"Do you _really_ want to know?" He asked her skeptically.

She bit her lip and did some quick thinking. If this was going to work she knew she had to give in a little. She had to give him some of what he wanted as well as show resistance. The time for looking interesting was over and Severus and Draco couldn't help her now. It was time to take control and start learning on her own.

"You made me an offer two days ago," she whispered, "To teach me what you know. I propose a trade off."

He put down his spoon again and looked at her.

"What kind of trade off?" He asked her skeptically.

"I learn from you, get to pick your brain until it's bone dry," she told him, "And you get to pick mine."

He snorted at her then.

"The last time we tried this you lied to me," he scoffed, "Quite badly at that."

"You asked me about my personal life, my history," she shook her head, "I'm not going to tell you about any of that."

"Then what could you possibly have to offer?"

She bit her lip again in nervousness and looked down at her spoon, almost feeling ashamed of herself. How much should she tell him? She didn't want him to exploit what he knew, but how else was he going to take her up on her offer? She had to give a little.

"I lost my family before I came here," she said quietly, not meeting his eyes, "You know that much is true. What I can also tell you is that I've seen things, heard things...done things that would make even your hair curl. A week before I arrived I used to use firewhisky as a sleeping potion...but there are other things that I did to make myself feel safe before that."

She looked up at him.

"I may not practice Dark Magic," she whispered, "But I've read about it in books that you won't find in any library. I went through an ordeal and it led me to a state where I couldn't eat or sleep without being afraid. I went to dark arts books for comfort. Just knowing that I had the knowledge there to use in the event of any emergency was comforting. The fact that I could inflict pain on someone who tried to hurt my family and friends was a calming thought."

"I have knowledge that you would never find in any book," he told her confidently.

"And I have knowledge from ancient books that you would never find," she shot back, "Ever hear of _The Magic of the Shadow_? Or_ The Spells of the Night_?"

He stared at her wide eyed.

"Those books were burned by Prince Vladimir Dracula III in the fifteenth century because their knowledge was too powerful even for him," he whispered in awe, "You must be lying."

"Dracula only pretended to burn them in order to keep his subjects happy," she told him, "It was only by accident that I found them."

"Did you find the third volume too? _The Potions of the Darkness_?"

She nodded.

"Do you have them with you?"

"No," she shook her head, "With the state I was in, I didn't have time to bring them with me. I threw them into the fire before I left my home. I do however, have them committed to memory."

He gaped at her, his true emotions showing to her for the first time since they had met. It seemed that she had really gotten through to him now. But was it worth it? Imparting this knowledge upon him could be fatal for them all. Then again, if she only gave him the things that she knew that he knew in the future, what harm could really be done? And even if she let something else slip, she could always undo it when she got back. That was one of the great things about _The Magic of Shadow_; it had a counter curse, anti venom or antidote to every spell, hex, poison and potion that it contained. She just wouldn't tell Riddle that.

He seemed to consider her seriously and she hoped that she had won him over. It would certainly make her life easier. He then seemed to realize that he was gaping like a fish and turned back to his ice cream.

"Do you intend to get rid of that moron that plays your fiancé?" He asked her, changing the subject. She sighed, thinking that she had lost and stabbed at the ice cream in frustration. So close...

"He's Draco fucking Malone," she mumbled, "It takes more than a few hours to get rid of him."

"Language Evans."

"Like I care Riddle," she rolled her eyes, "The whole 'ladies do not swear' thing doesn't apply to me. I'm a soldier."

"In a manor of speaking."

"But still a soldier," she insisted.

There was another pause between them, Hermione scowling and Riddle expressionless once more. He suddenly stood when the last spoonful was gone and placed empty tub in the sink along with both their spoons. He picked up his bag and was about to leave her without another word. He seemed to think better of it.

"Have him gone by the end of the week," he said clearly as he turned back to her, "And you start your lessons tomorrow evening."


	12. Dancing, Dominance and Danger

**Hello Lovely Readers!**

**Aren't we most fortunate that I'm stuck at home sick with a nasty flu? It gives me so much more time to write for you all! I hope you like this chapter, I know for a fact that it's at least a little bit better than the last and it should be longer too.**

**Happy Reading!

* * *

**

Chapter Twelve: Dancing Dominance and Danger

_She walked inside her rooms feeling a little dazed and confused after their conversation. She didn't understand why he had agreed to her suggestion so readily. Yes the dark texts were alluring and powerful and strange arts to study, but it was almost like he had been waiting for her to make a move, waiting for her to approach him. If her brain had been working at the time she would have noticed all this signs but as it was-_

"_Where'd you go?"_

_She turned around after locking the door to see Draco standing before her. By the looks of his naked chest and tussled hair he had just gotten out of bed. She walked straight past him unable to meet his gaze. She knew that she would have to tell him about the deal sooner or later but at this point in time, later was rather preferable._

"_Out," she told him curtly, "I needed to think."_

_She walked over to a book shelf and pulled out _Moste Potent Potions: Volume Three_ before moving over to a desk and placing herself on a chair. It was a good way to pass the time reading volumes of books that would be rare in the future and yet abundant in this time._

"_Out where?" He asked her._

"_You aren't my father Malfoy," she said impatiently._

"_No," he told her, coming up behind her and taking the book out of her hands, "But I'm here to protect you-"_

"_And I've already told you that I don't need protecting!" She yelled as she stood from her chair and glared at him murderously. He had no right to treat her like a child!_

"_I thought we had reached an understanding last night-"_

"_No that was me being too tired to fight you on it," she told him coldly, "But I'm not tired now."_

"_I already told you that I'm not leaving," he shook his head, "You'll have to kill me first."_

"_It won't be me that'll be doing the killing!" She screeched, "You'll be dead by the end of the week if you don't leave."_

"_Then so be it."_

_She roared in frustration and threw her hands up in the air._

"_Why does it have to be him?!" She exclaimed, "Why not someone with half a brain?!"_

"_I do too have half a brain!" He said indignantly._

"_Well you don't use it very often!" She shot back, "Why can't you see that I'm just trying to save you?!"  
_

"_Why can't you see that I'm trying to do the same thing?!" He roared back, equally frustrated now, "You're so hell bent on looking after others that you can't look after yourself anymore! Someone has to watch your arse!"_

"_I can watch my own arse thank you very much!" She said indignantly. She managed to push herself past him towards the door but he caught her by the wrist and swung her around to face him again_

"_Granger," he said softly, the anger suddenly gone from his eyes, a great contrast to his sudden movement, "You need to stop this."_

"_Stop _what_ exactly?" She turned on him, her face contorted into a murderous glare, her eyes darkening with ferocity._

"_Stop feeling like you're alone," he said quietly, "Severus and I are here for a reason-"_

"_You're only here because you needed to save your own arse," she told him coldly, "If it wasn't for the fact that you would be dead right now had you not come here, I would have left the both of you behind where you belong."_

_He couldn't argue with her on that one. He let go of her wrist but he stood in the way of the door instead. It appeared that he really was adamant on taking her wrath that day, even if it killed him._

"_There's a reason you asked me to stay last night," he said._

"_Contrary to popular belief Malfoy, not every woman finds you irresistible," she spat._

"_You asked me to stay because you needed to feel like someone was there," he told her softly, "And I am here. So is Severus and we aren't leaving just because dark lord junior says so."_

_He shook his head at her._

"_Death doesn't frighten me anymore and after everything that's happened neither does he."_

"_Then you're just as foolish as a garden variety Gryffindor Malfoy," she whispered, "Now get out of my way..."_

That had been over three hours ago. She now sat in a tiny wizarding coffee shop in Diagon Alley sipping on a cup of weak tea trying to figure out where this new Malfoy had come from. Not once had they ever been close, not even when he had switched sides. Sure, they would banter every now and then, he would pick her up after she had finished drinking herself to sleep and she would patch up his war wounds after a particularly nasty battle every now and then, but even then she had never felt this close to him, this safe with him. It was, to say the least...weird. Not at all unappreciated but still weird. She guessed that it must be some kind of deluded kindred spirit syndrome. They were both parentless, they had both come from war, they had both lost everything and they were by far the most damaged people you would ever find. Maybe he thought that he was more damaged than she and felt the need to try and save her? No, after what Severus had undoubtedly told him he would more than likely see her as this little lost lamb with a broken past and a shattered future. Maybe he was trying to spare her anymore pain? What ever he was doing, it was getting in her way. If he didn't stop soon, she would have to make him. His efforts may be appreciated but if they were anything, they were certainly unwanted.

She took another angry sip of her tea and waited for Riddle to return. He had said something about going to the apothecary to refill on dragon scales and she hadn't disputed him. She knew that he was really going down to Borgin and Burk's but what was the point in trying to stop him? He would just stun her, shove her in some dirty side street, leave her there, get what he wanted and then come back to take her back to Hogwarts. She couldn't beat him a duel, she knew that. She just couldn't...not yet.

And so she sat, waiting for him to come back while she froze her butt off in the late November air. She watched as busy shoppers went past, some giving her acknowledgements, having seen her in the _Daily Prophet_ that morning others simply staring at her and then gossiping about her to their companions. She hated the fact that she now had her picture in a 1944 paper but there was nothing she could do about it now. If Riddle hadn't been such a jerk about it she might have escaped the most unwanted publicity. She watched as these people went by, picking out Christmas gifts and saying hello to one another. They had no idea of the terror that awaited them in years to come, the fear that one of their recent heroes would instill in their hearts. Sure, they feared Grindlewald _now_, but what would they do when Tom rose to power? The temptation was so great to warn them, to have Tom thrown in prison right this very minute. Merlin knew that he had done enough already to warrant a life sentence, but she could never prove it. She couldn't tell them anything without telling them where she was from. So long as she was Hermione Evans she could do what she liked...but the moment she became Hermione Granger once more she would be chained and shackled by her knowledge of the future. No one could know what she knew; no one could help shoulder the burdens that she carried both in this time and in the next. And so she sat there, drinking her tea, waiting for her heaviest burden to come back.

And he did come back. He sat in front of her with a peculiar smirk on his face that she didn't care to decipher. What ever was going through his head, she wanted to know as little as possible at the moment. It may have been her job to get inside his head but that didn't mean that she had to know everything.

He looked at her strangely as she took another sip of tea.

"I thought I told you that the tea was substandard here," he frowned.

"It's hot," she told him coldly, "And if I'm going to get a wand, it's all I can afford."

It wasn't exactly true. Draco had given her about a hundred galleons after having a tantrum about her being alone with him, but she needed to make him empathize with her and pulling out a huge pouch full of money was not the way to do it.

Tom shook his head and ordered a cup of coffee as a waiter walked past.

"We will go to Ollivanders and get you a wand once we've finished here and then we will head back," he said, "I don't want to stay here too long."

"Why not?" She asked absentmindedly as she scanned the article the _Daily Prophet_ had run on them that morning. She would have liked the picture they had taken had they not stuck her in between Malfoy and Riddle. They weren't her favourite people at that point in time.

"That's why," he nodded towards the paper, "You're supposed to be posing as a soldier are you not? The fact that we're in the paper for stopping Grindlewald's forces gives him enough of a motivation to have a few spies here."

"He had spies here before I arrived," she told him unconcernedly, "I doubt the fact that we did some damage to his forces is going to change that. And it was only miniscule damage at that."

"We aren't supposed to be able to do any damage at all," he pointed out, "You least of all. We're students and you're a woman."

She rolled her eyes at him.

"You really do have to get over this 'women are idiots' thing you've got going on," she told him, "You never know when one might take offence."

"Like you did?" He asked, supremely unconcerned.

"Your arrogance will be your downfall," she muttered.

"Your ignorance shall be yours," he mumbled back.

They finished their respective beverages in silence and then stood to go and procure Hermione's wand. He offered her his arm which she took with only slight hesitation now. Considering they were going to be benefiting from one another it was hardly going to hurt her to cling onto him for a bit. It was a custom that she greatly disliked but it was a custom that she had to put up with for the time being. It was one of Riddle's greatest concerns that his public appearance was perfect as she had found out the day before. She shuddered to think what he may have done to her had that little occasion Dippet set up gone wrong. She had quickly learned to act at least civilized around him while they were in public like today. School was a different matter. Everyone knew that they were at odds to say the least, but out in Diagon Alley they had to maintain a façade of friendship.

They made it into Ollivander's with snow all through their hair and ice coating their robes, a chill of foreboding running up Hermione's spine. Memories of when she had first acquired her wand came flooding back. The way that Ollivander had looked at her that day had made her uncomfortable and she had a feeling that today wouldn't be any better. After all, she had to see if her wand could be repaired before it was replaced. Hermione gazed around the room. It was just as she remembered with boxes upon boxes of old, unsold wands waiting for their masters to walk into the shop so that they could procure them. After all, the wand chooses the wizard.

"Ah Mr Riddle," a familiar voice came from behind her, "I didn't think that I would have to see you for a while. Is your wand still in working order?"

She turned to see Tom at the counter talking to a much younger version of Ollivander. He by far would change the most in the future. His hair was long, hanging over his back, a dark blond colour that reminded her of her own colour. He had very little wrinkles on his face and he seemed to be taller than what he would in the future. In fact, she seemed to recall Dumbledore mentioning once that Ollivander had been hit by a stray shrinking charm whilst selling one of his wands. Now that she looked at him, she could tell that it might in fact be true. His frame was even taller than Riddle's.

"My wand is just fine sir," Riddle smiled politely, "Miss Evans' on the other hand is not."

Hermione stepped forward and gave Ollivander a nod of the head which was returned before she held out the shards of her broken wand to him. He examined it for a while, running his fingers delicately down the two halves of the shaft and then bringing himself back to the handle. He stared at the dragon heart string core for the longest time before he looked up at Hermione once more. There was more curiosity in his gaze than anything else and she knew why. He had told her when she had first acquired that wand that she was lucky to have it. That it had been sitting in his shop for nearly eighty years before it fell into her possession. No doubt, a younger copy of her wand was situated in the back of his shop, waiting to be sold.

"This wand is irreparable Miss Evans," he told her quietly, "You will have to acquire another."

"I thought as much," she said just as quietly, trying not to meet his gaze, "Perhaps one of your wands would be so happy as to accommodate me?"

"Perhaps," he said back, his face almost as scrutinizing as Tom's. Both were, as it seemed, curious as to what kind of wand she would now possess and the looks they were giving her were most unsettling. She placed the shards of her broken wand on the counter between them as Ollivander made his way to the back of his store and returned with several boxes.

"Willow wood, ten and a quarter inches, Unicorn hair, swishy, good for charms work," he said as he handed her the first wand. She pointed it at first in Tom's direction.

"Don't even think about it," he said warningly and she smirked as she aimed it at the wands on the opposite wall instead. When she waved it, every single box exploded.

"No, no," Ollivander said in a strange strangled voice, instantly taking the wand from her hands replacing it back in its box and handing her another one.

"Mahogany, Dragon heart string, eleven inches, a little more powerful than the last," he said, "But good for Transfiguration."

She waved it in the direction of the window and the glass shattered into a million pieces. She placed the wand back on the table without even waiting for Ollivander. That definitely wasn't hers.

Olivander gave a slight cough and gave her another.

"Elm, ten inches, Phoenix feather," he told her, "Nice and flexible."

She waved it in no direction in particular and she created a series of miniature tornadoes sweep the shop. Needless to say, Ollivander was not impressed, but once Tom had gotten rid of them with his own wand he began to stare at her in the same way he had stared at her broken wand. He then seemed to stare at Tom as well. Tom and Hermione looked at him confusedly but said nothing. If there was one thing she knew about Ollivander, it was that if he stared at you, he obviously wasn't going to tell you why. He suddenly darted off to the back of the shop and came back with a black box and pulled out a wand that Hermione actually recognised.

"Holly and Phoenix feather," he whispered, "An unusual combination for a most unusual customer. Eleven inches, nice and supple."

She stared at the wand in numb disbelief. She knew what would happen the moment she laid eyes on its varnished and polished wood. There had been no reason for Ollivander to show her this wand in the past, or rather, the future. There had been no indication that this might be hers at all. But now…now that she had been on the casting and receiving end of its counter part, what would happen? Did Riddle even know what wand he was staring at?

"Evans?"

Apparently not.

"Are you going to try the wand or not?" He asked her curtly. He clearly liked it here as much as she did. With a trembling hand she reached out and took the long thin wood from the old man. The moment the wood touched her fingers she felt a warmth, a distinct and gentle touch, that she hadn't felt for a long time spread through her. She aimed the wand at the shattered glass of the window.

"Reparo," she whispered and the glass instantly fell back into its frame and fused together. This was not good. How would Harry survive in the future without this wand? What would he do when he faced Voldemort in the graveyard? What would he do when he faced him in the ministry? Priori Incantatum wouldn't protect him if he had another wand. She had effectively just killed her best friend. She was now the reason Harry lay six feet underground, pushing up honking daffodils by Dumbledore's grave.

"Curious," Ollivander muttered, "Very curious."

"Not really," she muttered before she dumped some money on the counter, more money than the wand was worth she was sure, and walked out of the shop. She could already feel unwanted tears beginning to trail down her face and she hastily wiped them away as Riddle came up behind her and caught her arm. She would have tripped in the snow if he hadn't wrapped an arm around her waist as he whipped her around to face him.

"Next time you decide to run off," he said quietly, "Do inform me first."

"That would defeat the purpose of running," she told him with more acid in her voice than she had ever used. She hated him now, so much that it hurt to be in his arms, so much that she would kill him with her bare hands if she could.

"And why are you running Evans?" He asked her lightly, "Were you stung by the fact that your wand carries the same core as my own?"

"That's my business Riddle," she spat at him. She wouldn't tell him the truth even if she could. She would keep it from him just to spite him, just to make him suffer in agony because there was something he needed to know and couldn't because it was locked away, scattered in pieces by her broken mind and heavy heart.

"And now that we are engaging in a business endeavour together I would say that it's my business too, wouldn't you?" he said coolly, "I can't have my business partner falling apart over a wand without explanation now can I?"

"Believe me when I say that it's more than the wand and you _really _don't want to know," she told him coldly right before she struggled out of his grip and stepped back a few paces, Harry's wand ready in her hand to strike if she needed to. With a jolt, she realised that they were now on even ground as long as she held this wand in her possession. She glared at him and breathed heavily as more tears threatened her borders but she refused to look weak in front of him, she refused to show him any part of her humanity. She would be just as cold and callus as he was if she could manage it, but for the moment, cold anger was all she could manage.

His eyes roamed over her in that moment that she challenged him. For the first time since the day they had met, he was looking at her, taking in all of her being, all of her personality, all of her physicality and just retaining it, revaluating everything he had thought the first time he had laid eyes on her in the hospital wing. He had made snap judgements that day, but he would really look at her now, see her properly for the first time. His eyes found her high heeled feet and travelled up her legs. They marked her grace, her style. She was everything a woman should be in that department. He wondered to her torso. She had a tiny waist that made her round hips stand out beneath what ever she wore, something she had undoubtedly tried to hide while she was on the battle field. It showed humility and practicality. Oh no doubt she was proud, but for reasons that other girls would never be. He found himself looking at her hands. Great weapons she used where ever possible, her dexterity and precision rivalling his own. She was resourceful and underestimated by others often, not only because of her gender but because she looked so unthreatening. It was something she often used to her advantage. He looked up to her arms and shoulders. Such a weight she carried upon them, such a burden that she undoubtedly did not have to bare on her own and yet chose to do so. He had seen her struggles only minimally by the lake and yet even then he could tell that they were many. She had refused to cry when her friend had died, at least until her job was done, he had seen that much inside her mind. Sure she had consumed copious amounts of alcohol to sooth her pain but she did it away from prying eyes. This took strength. He finally found himself looking at her face. Her full lips, her deer brown eyes, her sleek hair that she controlled with magical interference. Her hair was a symbol of the wild anger he had yet to encounter in full swing. He wondered idly if it could be contained, if it could be tamed but it was not her hair or her waist or her hands that kept him watching her, that made him keep her close to him. It was her mind. It was by far her greatest asset, the one thing that he could never fully conquer. He could control her physically, he could more than likely break her spirit, but her logical mind would go on longer than either of these put together. Her perseverance, her cunning, her will to live through all that she had been through intrigued him to no end. In that moment, that one, solitary, singular, unique and unparalleled moment that he stared at her, that he truly saw her, he knew that he had to acquire her by any means necessary. Finding out information about her past could wait. Finding out why she was here could be put aside. All he needed now was to have her by his side. He didn't know what it was that made her so compelling, so desirable to attain but the fact of the matter was that she had an air about her that made her power, her prowess and her potential irresistible to him.

He kept his face purposefully blank as he extended a hand to her. She was still breathing heavily and staring at him as though he was the last person on earth she would ever wish to travel with. Then again, he actually was.

"We have to go back," he said softly. It was the first soft word he had ever spoken, not only to her but undoubtedly in his lifetime.

"This may be a foolish question, but have you changed your mind?" She asked him quietly.

"Inquiries can wait for now," he told her in the same tone as before, "Come."

His voice was so endearing, so enchanting that she couldn't help but obey. She placed her shaky, vulnerable hand upon his own and he gently pulled her towards him, still staring down at her imperiously but with some of the edge taken away from his gaze. He was intent upon being her master but the only way he was going to do it was if he was her equal first. She was not the kind of woman that would bow down to anyone unwillingly as the others did. He wrapped his other hand around her waist once more, unknowingly forcing her to place her hand on his shoulder and keep the other in his. And as they apparated away, thus the dance of courtship, dominance and danger began.

***

Ollivander watched as the two disapperated from the alley before him, holding his newly acquired gold and the shards of the young woman's broken wand in his hands. The moment he saw it he knew that that wand had been one of his and thought at first that he had for the first time in his long life forgotten a wand that he had sold. But when they had left, or rather ran from his shop, he went straight to the back, to the dustiest of boxes covered in cobwebs and moth balls in a section that had no doubt been infested with doxies for the longest time. And there in a lone corner had been a fully whole version of the pieces he held in his hands. No two Ollivander wands were the same. No identical Ollivander wand existed and yet here it was, a whole, complete, exact copy. He was confused to say the least. He sat at his desk pondering what had taken place the moment the two had entered the shop.

Riddle had been Riddle. The same quietly arrogant, dangerous boy that he had served seven years beforehand. He had sat there and watched as his companion waved each wand and had grown characteristically impatient when she paused. There was nothing out of the ordinary there. But the girl…

She had been nervous from the moment she had entered, almost shaking in fact. She had hesitated in giving him what was left of her wand and she had definitely hesitated in taking the wand that now belonged to her. It was very curious that _she_ would end up with the brother wand. She, a girl that was completely unknown to him, one that appeared meek and frightened by his presence didn't seem even remotely worthy of that wand's power. The owner of that wand was destined for greatness; he had known that from the moment he had made it. It seemed almost improbable that the wand would land in her possession. But who was he to question? The wand chooses the wizard.

He looked down at the broken wand and at the whole one. They were the same and yet there were subtle differences between them. There were small curse marks on the broken one, chipped pieces where battles had claimed some of its varnished wood. It had finger marks all over the handle and other little details that told him it had been sold a long time ago-

He suddenly dropped both the wands and stepped back from the counter, staring wide eyed into space. There was only one explanation, one possibility that would allow for something like this.

Two words he whispered in the dark would become this girl's greatest fear…

"Time Traveller."


	13. Another Complication

**Hello Lovely Readers!**

**Ok, I'm gonna level with you here...I really don't like this chapter all that much. It's definitely not my best work, but you need to read it anyway so that you can lead up to certain other things that are going to happen in the future so please just stick with me here and endure the really really bad writing.**

**Thanks guys!**

* * *

Chapter Thirteen: Another complication

They landed just outside the school gates, almost frozen in the winter air, their gloves and robes having lost their warmth on the way. Hermione detached herself from him as soon as she could without causing alarm and breathed deeply. She hoped that if she breathed deeply enough that she might escape the dragonflies that were making dive bombs in the pit of her stomach. She hoped that if she breathed deeply enough, the wand in her hand would disappear and be replaced with her old one, unbroken and whole. She hoped that if she breathed deeply enough that she would be able to look Tom in the eye again. So much had happened in that one moment and yet there was so little time to dissect it, to catch it before it drifted away into a distant memory.

"We should move back to the castle," Tom told her quietly.

What was with this new tone he was treating her with? It was almost kind in its own way and yet it still put fear in her heart. The edge that she had become accustomed to hearing had suddenly withered away and in its place came this new air of calm. It was more frightening than his greatest scream.

She gave him a stiff nod and they started walking down the path once Tom had opened the gates. She glanced sideways at him every now and then, not really knowing if she wanted to catch his eye or not. Something in their relationship had shifted during that apparation, something had twisted and distorted her view of him into something unknown, completely unpredictable and unique and she wasn't sure if she liked it or not just yet. It was new, uncharted waters from here on.

"What is Malone's purpose here?" He asked her softly, suddenly. She looked at him, highly confused. The tone was so undemanding of her. It was highly frightening that he would treat her with such severity at one point and then with such docility the next.

"I'm sorry, I-I don't know what you mean," she answered feebly.

"If he is not here with the intention of either courting you or marrying you, why is he here?" He asked, that same civil tone coming through once more, "Or is this one of those questions you will not answer?"

Was it? Merlin, she really did need lessons from him, so that she could find out how he made everyone so unsure of themselves. In the beginning she had been adamant that she wouldn't tell him anything of her past and yet now she wished to spill her guts. She was sure that it was the stress getting to her. The pressure of trying to kill him was an enormous hindrance. It hung off her shoulders with dead weight that never shifted into a comfortable position. Every now and then great hills like Malfoy and Ollivander would come along and disturb her straightforward path to her goal, doing their best to give her the steepest incline, the rockiest roads on the way to her task's completion.

"He's here to protect me," she told him simply.

"From what?" He asked back, his curiosity suddenly peaking again.

"He doesn't believe that I'm safe here, that Grindlewald will come and take me away again," she elaborated falsely. She knew that he would see through her, know that she was lying, but it was the only explanation she could give him.

"Yet where he is trying to help, he is only getting in the way," Tom finished for her.

She nodded mutely.

"Do you really want him gone?" He asked.

"I _don't_ want you to kill him."

"That's not what I asked."

"Then what are you asking?"

"Do you wish for him to leave? Alive and unharmed that is."

"Are you offering?"

"It would cause him great distress," he told her lightly, "A lot of emotional guilt."

She snorted.

"He's had enough guilt to last him a lifetime. Anymore and I think he'll explode."

"Would that necessarily be a bad thing?"

She glared at him and he smirked. He was having more fun with this than what he should. They continued up the path and into the grounds in silence, Hermione contemplating what he may be thinking and what he was planning to do at her command. Such an odd thing for him to offer, after all, he was the dark lord incarnate. He knew nothing but torture and death and yet he was willing to send someone from her sight without using either. What could he possibly be thinking?

"We have defence last," he suddenly told her. She turned her head in his direction.

"What?" She asked, having not listened at all.

"We've come back in time for defence," he told her again, "Shall we go or would you like to go and see your fiancé?"

"Fiancé," she told him immediately, "I don't want to go anywhere near class work until tomorrow morning."

"You do realise that you'll have to use the wand," he said idly. When she looked at him questioningly he elaborated, "You seem frightened of it."

"No," she shook her head when they reached the castle doors, "Not of the wand."

"Then what?" He asked, that same soft tone coming through. Was it wrong of her to want to hex it out of him? As they reached the castle doors she turned back to him swiftly.

"That is something I _definitely_ will not tell you," she said sternly though a slight quiver could be heard in her voice.

He smirked at her.

"Don't sound so certain," he said, before opening one of the doors and allowing her to walk inside. He held it open just wide enough for her to squeeze through, causing her body to brush against his as she went past. Once inside, the warmth of the air flooded over their skin and they felt it necessary to shed their outer robes. The halls were quiet, as they often were when it was the middle of the afternoon. Not a student was in sight and the silence was almost peaceful. She began to walk up the stairs on her own but soon felt Riddle take her arm.

"Did the others never tell you how dangerous it is to walk the corridors alone?" He asked her, "I was sure I told Cygnus to tell you."

"He did," she conceded, "But the Gryffindors do not frighten me."

"Of course they don't," he mused as they continued, "So what does?"

"Why are you all of a sudden so interested?" She asked him, trying to avoid the question as much as possible.

"You are going to be learning from me and I from you am I not?" He asked her, "I need to know what makes you tick."

"You know nothing about Callus and yet you learn from him just fine."

"I know many things about Callus," he frowned, "One of which is that he wants you out of the castle as soon as possible. You need to watch your back."

"So now I have to be frightened of teachers too?" She asked him mockingly, "What is this world coming to?"

"I'm serious Hermione," he said quietly, stopping them just as they reached the top, "Callus is not a fan of independence nor of anyone who values it and regardless of your battle experience he has ways of destroying you that you could never fight off."

She looked at him intently. He looked deathly serious and anything that could make Tom Riddle serious had to be something…well, serious. His face seemed almost set in stone as she gazed at him with concern. She had never seen him like this before, so intent upon warning her. What had she gotten herself into? He turned his head slightly in that moment and began to walk her off again, snapping her once more out of her little day dream.

"Do you know where the Room of Requirement is?" He asked her quietly.

She mentally froze but kept walking.

"Yes," she managed to get out without stuttering, "A house elf told me about it once."

"I think we'll have our lessons there," he told her, "Away from prying eyes and ambitious minds."

"What time?" She asked him quietly, even though she was mentally screaming.

"I'll meet you there after dinner. We'll go on until we feel tired and then we'll head back at the same time so that it doesn't look suspicious."

"How would that not look suspicious?" She asked sceptically.

"Head boy," he stated as he rolled his eyes. She rolled her eyes also but for different reasons. Did he really think that title would let him get away with everything?

But she stopped thinking of Riddle's over inflated ego at once and concentrated on his newest plans. He wanted to go to the Room of Requirement. _Severus_ was in the Room of Requirement. She couldn't go to the Room of Requirement and tell him to leave without telling him why…and telling him why he was leaving the Room of Requirement also meant telling _Draco_ why he was leaving the Room of Requirement, which also meant that Draco couldn't go _back_ to the Room of Requirement which meant that she was stuck with him here…Damn the Room of Requirement! Damn Draco and Severus! And Merlin, damn Riddle too for good measure! Why did they all have to make life so bloody complicated?!

Riddle suddenly stopped walking and as she ventured out of her reverie she found that they had come to a halt outside her door.

"Well," she said, "This is obviously my stop. Where are you headed to now?"

"I'll be headed to Dippet's office to let him know we've returned," he told her, "That way we won't have every wizard and his niffler looking for us. He really is a dolt."

"For once I find myself agreeing with you," she found herself smiling at him, "He really can be an idiot when he-"

"HERMIONE!"

She suddenly felt herself being enveloped by strong arms in what felt like a death grip. She couldn't see who was doing it so her first instinct was to panic. She completely ignored the wand in her pocket and reached for her blades, pointing them at his gut as a warning. He instantly dropped her and stepped back and when she stood and turned around to see who was there she could have sworn that fate was out to kill her. All these surprises and twists and turns were going to give her a heart attack one day.

Standing there in immaculate blue robes with a considerably smaller nose and, believe it or not, bright blond hair, was Severus Snape.

She scrutinized him for a moment, caught between laughing her head off and stabbing him just for the hell of it. Well, if he was here for the same reason as Draco, at least she wouldn't have to worry about the Room of Requirement now.

"Uncle?" She asked, looking confused. She wasn't sure how she was supposed to react to him. After all, in the stories that she had told Riddle, she hadn't seen him since she was six and she hadn't even sussed out a reason for that just yet. She was so ill prepared for this and really wanted to strangle the formerly hook nosed man for putting her on the spot like this. Was it supposed to be a happy reunion? Was she meant to slap him? There were just too many options and none of them were good!

"Uncle?" Riddle asked, just as confused as he looked at her.

"That's right," Severus smiled, "Your Uncle Leopold."

Trust him to choose a name like that.

She stared at him up and down for a few moments. He was here, he was blond, and there wasn't a scrap of black on his body. He had this hopeful look in his eye that portrayed that of a man who had lost everything and was hoping to find his redemption in the girl before him. Well, if he was going to play it like that, she would make him suffer. She had now decided that she liked the fact that she had left the story open for renovations. If she could do it all over again, she would say that Draco was a cheating, gambling, alcoholic bastard, just to get him out of her hair, but if she couldn't do it to him, Severus was the next best thing…Probably better if she managed to get a temper tantrum out of him. She raised her swords to him again.

"What the hell are you doing here?" She asked him coldly. No translation needed for that one.

"I saw your picture in the paper," he said as he raised his hands in surrender, "I knew you were still alive."

"Regardless of whether I'm alive or not, it does not give you right to be here!"

"I know I haven't been there," Severus pleaded with her, "But the Army contacted me the moment you went missing. Told me Severus and Lily were dead. I couldn't leave you to look after yourself."

"Well if you saw my picture in the paper you would know that I've been doing just fine without you!" She screeched at him, pushing him aside and walking to her door before turning back to Tom.

"I'll see you once I've sorted this out," she told him.

Surprisingly enough he didn't argue. He gave a stiff nod and walked off to his own rooms. She found Draco lounging on the sofa reading some book and looking supremely unconcerned at the present sight. Hermione just about strangled him.

"You idiots," she hissed at them, "You complete and utter _fools_!"

"Miss Granger-"

"Don't you Miss Granger me!" She yelled at him, "Do you have any idea what you've done?!"

"Do you have any idea what you're _doing_?" Severus asked her quietly.

"What?" She asked.

"Do you have any idea what you're doing?" He repeated.

"At the moment I'm trying not to kill you for your idiocy," she yelled as she recovered.

"No," he said simply, "You're yelling at me with the door open."

She whipped around to stare at the gaping hole in her rooms, stood shocked at herself for a few moments, recovered, slammed the door shut and then turned on them again with a feral growl.

"Continue," he smirked at her. She restrained herself as much as she could; after all, it wasn't his fault that Draco couldn't control her. But even they had to admit that this was too much.

"What the _hell_ are you doing here?" She hissed at him.

"Draco said he needed help protecting you," he told her simply, "I offered my services."

"No," she said simply.

"No?" The two of them repeated.

"No,' she said again, "Draco couldn't get me to do what he wanted so he ran straight to mummy Severus who, let's face it, won't fair any better."

"I resent that," Severus mumbled but said nothing more on the matter. This was obviously between the two of them.

"I'm not one of your house elves that you can command Malfoy!" she screeched at him, "And getting someone else to try and order me around isn't going to change that!"

"This isn't about commanding you!" He roared back, "This is about saving your arse before it gets in too deep."

"My arse is just fine where it is thank you very much!"

There was a small snort from Severus but it was ignored.

"If you won't listen to me then I'll bring someone in who you will listen to," Draco told her.

"And who says that I'll listen to him any more than I'll listen to you?" She asked him snidely, "He may have saved my life but he doesn't control me and neither do you. I want you _both_ to be gone by morning."

"Why?"

She turned to stare at the blond and curious Severus.

"Excuse me?"

"Why do you want us gone so badly?" He asked her, "Why is our presence so intruding here?"

"Because he's promised to kill Draco already if I don't have him out by then end of the week! How long do you think you'll last Severus? By the look on his face when he left I'd say only a few hours."

Severus scrutinized her some more.

"Now why would _I_ get less time than Draco?" He asked, "We are both equal thorns in his side and now yours…"

He stepped towards her and began to circle around her as she folded her arms indignantly, trying to protect herself emotionally from his scrutiny. She couldn't afford for him to know what she was thinking, not now. Draco simply looked on as the battle of wills commenced. He knew that getting Severus in was a good idea. If he couldn't change her mind, at least he could now get inside her head.

"Where did you go today?" He asked her quietly.

"Why do you want to know?" She asked back.

"Why don't you want to tell me?"

"Why are my motives so important?"

"Why do you keep asking questions?"

"I could ask the same of you."

"But you've run out of questions to ask, so now you will answer one."

"Not a chance."

"We aren't the enemy."

She snorted.

"Could have fooled me Severus," she told him, "The way you're tip toeing around information seems to give me the opposite impression. Why are you putting on your old interrogation techniques? Afraid I might lie?"

"Do you have anything to lie about?" He asked her.

"Not a thing."

"Liar," he smirked, "You may be able to fool Tom Riddle, but I know you too well Granger. Now what are you hiding?"

Pity he didn't know her well enough to know that she was hiding several things at once. Pity he didn't know her well enough to know that all she had to do was give a little and he would back off. Pity he didn't know her as well as she knew him.

She sighed and shuddered as she drove her hand inside her pocket and pulled out her new wand, throwing it onto the glass coffee table. They would be too caught up in this to even think about Riddle now. Draco sprang from his place on the couch and stared at the offending piece of wood with wide eyes where as Severus backed away from it completely.

"Impossible," he whispered.

She looked at him, completely irritated.

"Does that _look_ impossible to you?!" She yelled at him, "I've just _murdered_ my best friend and all you have to say is IMPOSSIBLE?!"

"Well look at it Granger!" Malfoy said hysterically, "It's Potter's wand! It's not like we expected to trip over it any time soon!"

"Thank you very much Captain Obvious!" She screeched back.

"Will you two shut it!" Severus roared and the two fell silent. It was hard to believe that even as a blond he could evoke that kind of fear in them, though she had to admit that the robes suited him…just a tad.

"We are fifty years in the past," Severus told them, "About forty years before Potter is even born-"

"Give or take a decade," Hermione mumbled and Severus glared.

"The point is that we have plenty of time to try and fix this," he told her, "We have nearly fifty years to make everything right."

"I thought that the whole point of this was to get in and get out," she mused.

"It was," Severus rolled his eyes, "But you and your new wand along with that stupid brunch Dippet held yesterday have complicated things slightly."

"How?" Draco asked.

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Think about it you idiot," she scorned, "My face is all over the papers with Riddle's. Do you really think that my sudden disappearance would go unnoticed by the rest of the world now? It now means that I have to stick around until I fade out of the spot light."

"And how long will that take?"

"Well with you two now in the picture," she glared, "I would say until graduation at least. The sooner _you_ leave the sooner we can _all_ leave."

"I'm not leaving and neither is Severus," Draco said firmly.

"Yes we are."

Both turned to stare at the teacher incredulously.

"I told you she could handle this from the very beginning Malfoy," he told them both, "I was wrong to go back on my original assumption. She's fine."

"You didn't see her last night," he defended.

"I said that she was doing fine, not that she wouldn't have any weak moments," he sneered.

"All the more reason to be here," Draco told him.

"No," Hermione shot back, "All the more reason for you to stay away. I'm vulnerable enough in my weak moments, just about anyone could probably read my mind which means that I can't afford to have another mind to try and protect. I need you gone!"

"No."

"Severus please just immobilize him and cart him off!"

"And what would you tell your friends about your fiancé in the morning?" He asked.

"That he crept out while I was sleeping to go back to the front," she told him, "That he didn't want to worry me so he just snuck out and left a really long love letter as compensation."

"That would never stick," Draco said weakly.

"She could more than likely sell it Malfoy," Severus told him lightly.

"No way," he shook his head, "It's too far fetched, even for you. Riddle will never believe it."

"He doesn't believe it anyway," she scoffed, "He knows that I'm lying about everything."

The two looked completely dumbfounded. The saying 'clubbed by the blugger' suddenly made all the sense in the world to her as she looked at their faces. Severus recovered first and his face turned into that of cold anger.

"Something you perhaps forgot to mention?" He asked quietly.

"And you're still here?" Draco asked her, still looking horrified, "Unbelievable."

"No, just smart," she corrected him, "I've kept him interested the entire way so he's had no need to try and torture the information out of me or try to kill me for it."

"And how could he possibly learn to trust you if he knows that you're lying to him?" Severus asked, still looking cold.

This was the part she hated. Lying to them was never easy. Sure, half truths she could handle any day, but lying was just plain hard. Severus seemed to have a built in lie detector and Draco was very perceptive. She guessed that it was a Slytherin trait but she had yet to see it within herself.

She took a deep breath and tried to pretend to calm herself down a bit.

"Basically," she said, "He keeps my secrets in exchange for keeping his. I told him what I know about him, you know, just to freak him out a bit because he really pissed me off one night, and he practically flipped out, so I made a deal. In exchange for my privacy he would be able to keep his."

Of course, it hadn't actually come to this yet but it had always been a back up plan if necessary. Yet by the way Severus and Draco were looking at her it seemed as though she was lucky that she hadn't gone this far.

"Are you insane?!" Draco yelled, "Do you have a death wish?! I can not believe you're black mailing the Dark Lord!"

Well, at least they bought it.

"If the Dark Lord does not kill you in this time he will certainly kill you in the next," Severus whispered, "He is not one to forget so easily."

"Well it won't really matter if we manage to stop him here," she said as she rolled her eyes. She really was growing impatient with them. If they weren't going to even try and see it her way, what were they even doing here?

"Look are you leaving or not?" She suddenly asked them.

They looked at each other for a moment.

Draco simply shook his head vehemently.

"After what you have just divulged," Severus told her, "Leaving now would be a mistake."

She closed her eyes out of frustration, pinched the bridge of her nose and huffed. So much for getting rid of them. Maybe she would take Tom up on his original offer and have him murder them, just to remove the constant headache that they were helping to form. She gave another huff, picked up her wand and walked over to the door before the others could stop her.

"Then stay out of my way."


	14. Liar Liar

**Hello Lovely Readers!**

**Here's the next Chapter, sorry it's a little late. You would have had it twenty four hours ago but FFN's doco manager was down so I couldn't get it there. BIG THANK YOU TO FFN MAINTENANCE STAFF FOR FIXING IT!!!  
**

**Thanks guys!**

* * *

Chapter Fourteen: Liar Liar

She endured a long and hard interrogation from Eileen and the others when she went to dinner. Everyone wanted to know about her fiancé and her new wand and what it was like going out with Tom all day and how she had managed to stay out of Callus' way all afternoon. So many questions and such little time to answer them, not that she really wanted to. She weaved little webs of lies and deceit that managed to fool them all. All but one who kept his eyes on her the entire time. He was supposed to be the Heir of Slytherin and yet he was acting like the word subtlety was not in his vocabulary. She sat across from him and avoided his eyes at all costs, trying not to draw attention to the fact that they were now supposedly on the same time. Tom of course did his best to thwart this. Whether he found it to be entertaining or he was unaware of the stir his actions were causing was beyond her and she quite frankly didn't care. If he didn't stop soon, she would kick him under the table.

"How was the day's classes without us?" Hermione asked Eileen.

"Boring," she rolled her eyes, linking her arm with her, "I have to say that even though Tom may be a bit of a prat," Tom didn't react to this but continued staring, "And you may be a bit disruptive, at least you make life interesting."

"We aim to please," Hermione laughed.

"Did you hear where Callus was this afternoon?" Cygnus asked from her other side.

"Why would I care where that prat goes?" She asked him with a roll of her eyes and a friendly smile.

"You might after you hear this," he said smugly, "He was at the ministry down in the Department of Wizarding Populous Control."

Tom finally looked away from Hermione for the first time and stared at Cygnus with slight confusion and what she could have sworn was nervousness.

"Why was he down there?" He asked him.

"I have no idea," Cygnus replied, "When I over heard Dippet asking him about it he just said that he had some business to take care of. Rather odd. People only ever go down there when they have to report a death or a birth or something. Hey! Maybe he finally found a hag to have his kids!"

Hermione and Tom didn't laugh like the rest of them. They stared at each other with hidden concern though it wasn't quite obvious that there may be another reason for Callus's spontaneous visit. She sat there in silence for the rest of the night contemplating what might have brought Callus to the Department of Wizarding Populous Control. There was no way that he could know where she was from or her purpose here, even though the risk of him finding out was now ridiculously high. She then thought of the way Tom had looked when Cygnus had informed them of this most disturbing piece of information. What could possibly make him nervous about this? Was he perhaps hiding something too? With a jolt, she realised that he was looking at her again. They shared a silent moment of understanding as the conversations around them flourished and broadened into a variety of topics. They could have joined in, they could have looked away and let the moment pass unnoticed but all they did was stare. Oh yes, something had definitely changed in their relationship that afternoon and she was frightened to be alone with him that night. For the first time in her life she was not in control…and she hated it. After a small while she noticed that someone else was staring at her too. She turned her head slightly away from Tom to see Albus Dumbledore through her peripheral vision. She couldn't see much of him, but she saw enough to know that he was not exactly happy with the way she was acting around Tom at that moment. The usual twinkle in his piercing blue eyes was faded somewhat; dulled by concern for a girl he barely knew and yet had so much reason to protect. She looked away from them both after awhile, their scrutiny becoming too much for her to bare. She then stood from her place, giving hasty goodbyes to the others and then walked out the doors. She didn't pause to look at their expressions but she knew that they would be confused to say the least. Hermione acting strange was not so foreign to them…however having Tom Riddle leave directly after her with the obvious intent of speaking with her was another matter. It meant one of two things to them. Either they were coming up with ways to torture one another separately…or ways to torture the rest of the world together. Either way, it did not bode well for the rest of the inhabitants of the castle.

She felt him link her arm around his just as she was about to walk up the staircase.

"I've told you before that going anywhere on your own isn't safe," he said irately as they journeyed together.

She tried to pull her arm out of his but he held it there firmly and did not let go.

"Right and going anywhere with you is like going for a Sunday stroll in Diagon Alley," she said after giving up on trying to free herself from him. He didn't even respond to her accusation and simply kept walking with her.

There was a small silence between them until Hermione remembered her earlier concerns.

"What do you suppose Callus was doing at the ministry?" She asked him. She felt him stiffen a bit but he continued walking. It was nothing visible of course, just a slight twitch in the muscle of his arm. Subtle, controlled.

"I have no idea," he told her and she smirked.

"Liar," she told him.

"It could be for anything-"

"Liar."

"Maybe Cygnus was right about the hag-"

"Li-"

"If you say that word one more time I'm going to throw you into the Black Lake so the Giant Squid can eat you," he said menacingly, tightening his grip to an uncomfortable level.

"Nice try," she told him, "But the Giant Squid is a vegetarian. My goodness this must be big if it's making you edgy."

"Leave it Evans," he told her, and though she smiled smugly as they reached the third floor, she said nothing. It was when they passed one of the ghosts that she remembered something else.

"If you continue to stare at me like that people are going to think there's something going on between us," she told him sternly, "Particularly Dumbledore. He'll begin to interfere if we're not careful."

"Dumbledore is in need of a clue," Riddle told her, "There's nothing for him to interfere with and he should know by now that if there was, he would never find it."

"His involvement would still be unwelcome," she countered, "I already have my Uncle and Draco on my back, I don't need _him_ too."

"You will get used to it," he told her, "When you are involved with me, you become accustomed to medalling old fools with no vision."

"Dumbledore may be a lot of things, but I would say that a _fool_ is not one of them," she mused.

"If you say so," he smirked unbelievingly. She scowled at him but said nothing more of the subject as they reached the Room of Requirement. Tom walked back and forth by the space of wall three times and the old wooden door appeared before them. He smirked at it smugly and gestured for her to walk inside.

The room was lit purely by focused moonlight coming from the sky light above them and three windows on the western wall. It was empty but for a few dummies on sticks and some old field mice in cages to the side and because of it's vast size you would think that you were in a rundown ball room. It was essentially a great duelling arena for them to practice in.

"What I have to teach you will be more about harnessing your own power than anything else," he told her as he shed his outer robes onto a rack, "Duelling isn't about flashy tricks or fancy movements. It's about skill, power, reflexes and the willingness to do anything to win."

"So what will I be learning today?" She asked him as she shed her own robes. The room was relatively warm considering there was no fire and it was the middle of November.

"The basics," he told her, "We'll start off with the Unforgivables and then move on to-"

Hermione suddenly shot a jet of green light at one of the field mice in the cage without saying a word. The mouse fell silent instantly.

"I know how to kill," she told him blankly, "I'm a soldier. I kill on a daily basis."

Tom was impressed to say the least. He hadn't seen anyone besides himself who had been able to cast the killing curse silently. It was a rare skill that not just anyone could achieve.

"Avada Kedavra," he said as he walked by her side, "Is only one of three Unforgivables Hermione."

He began to circle her as she stood in the middle of the room, staring straight ahead as she listened to him, soaked in every word he spoke. This was what she came for.

"As you rightly said," he continued, "You are a soldier. You kill on a daily basis. You have become desensitized to the sight of blood, to the feel of it on your skin," he stood behind her as he said this, the tips of his fingers brushing her cheeks and running down the sides of her neck, "But killing someone straight away can sometimes be the greatest gift you could give."

She couldn't help but shudder beneath his touch. In most others, his gentle caresses would be distracting. Feather light touches upon her soon to be heated flesh, the contrasting gentleness of fingers to the harsh words spilling from his lips. But she found that it heightened her senses. She concentrated freely on his words as his hands moved to her shoulders.

"Sometimes a duel isn't enough to get you what you want," he whispered in her ear, "Sometimes you must use other methods to extract information. Not everyone is as gallant as you my dear Hermione. Not everyone will keep their word."

His right hand slid down her right arm and aimed her wand at one of the field mice. His other slipped to her waist where he held her so that she was unable to move away.

"Cast the severing charm," he whispered in her ear. She turned her head slightly so as to look at him with confusion.

"I thought you were going to teach me the unforgivables," she told him.

He gave a black chuckle before stepping away from her. She felt a sense of loss at his removal, a strange longing to be close to him once more. It frightened her, but she was more interested in what he was laughing about.

"Just as you are desensitized to blood," he told her coolly, "You must be desensitized to pain. You must learn how to take it, which is easy. A few doses of the cruciatus curse will do you just fine. However learning how to inflict it is a different matter. You must not hear the screams of your victims; you must not see their desperation. You must strike fear in their hearts without ever feeling guilt. This can only come slowly, therefore you start small."

It frightened her how much his words made sense, how much logic was there. It made her _want_ to hurt the field mouse, just to test out his theory, to gain the thrill of proving him wrong. They were equals in intelligence, or so she had been told. She was supposedly the smartest student that Hogwarts had seen in over fifty years…The temptation to prove that she was the smartest student Hogwarts had ever had was great. She had never thought herself to be ambitious, however a dormant ambitious gene seemed to be taking over her mind, body and soul while in his presence.

"Cut its paw from its body," he said softly.

She aimed her wand at the tiny rat, poised, ready. It seemed to know what was coming and quivered. She glanced down at the varnished wood of her wand. Harry's face appeared in her mind and her hand shook slightly. She could only imagine what he would be saying right now, what he would do if he could see her, standing there in the presence of his murderer, learning from him, learning to be like him so that she could beat him at his own game and exact revenge. He would turn in his grave.

"Cut its paw from its body," he said again.

She couldn't stop now. This was her opportunity, this was her chance. If she let that go now, she would never be able to get what she wanted. Surely Harry would understand. It was for him and for Ron and for everyone else that she had left back home. It was all for them. She wouldn't be like Tom, she wouldn't turn into the embodiment of evil. But could she guarantee that? She aimed her wand steadily once more and silently shot the severing charm at the mouse. It yelped as its' front left paw was cut clean from its leg. She looked over at Tom. He seemed anything but pleased.

"What stopped you?" He asked, "What made you hesitate?"

She looked down at her wand again as he walked over to her. He placed two fingers under her chin and slowly guided her head to face him. He searched her eyes, almost asking her to let him in to see what was bothering her. She remained silent and kept him locked out. He couldn't know this. He couldn't know that she was having an inner battle with herself over what she would have to turn herself into to beat him.

"I can not teach you if you are not open with me," he told her quietly.

She unhinged herself from his grip and walked to the other side of the room, as far away from him as possible. She kept her back to him as she answered.

"It was the mouse-"

"Liar," he interrupted.

"I could hear it screaming before I even-"

"Liar."

"And then I just couldn-"

"Li-"

"If you say that word one more time I swear to Merlin I will hex your balls off!" She declared as she turned to face him in anger.

"I'll stop saying it if you tell me the truth," he said simply, "It has nothing to do with the mouse. It has nothing to do with the spell. What. Held. You. Back?"

She glared openly at him before turning away again and staring out a window at the grounds. She saw a young couple sitting by the lake, talking, sharing with one another. She saw the boy place his arm around the girl in a comforting hug and the girl put her head on his shoulder before turning up to face him. Hermione would have smiled as their lips met had she not been in the presence of evil. With a sigh she turned away from the window and faced him again. He had the same stony look as before, scrutinizing her, waiting for an answer.

"This wand is not mine," she told him blankly.

He stared at her for a few moments.

"The wand chose you," he stated.

"No," she told him flatly, "This wand is not mine."

He stared at her again, seeming to think that this was just something she was saying to distract him from her real answer. She stared back. A battle of wills engaged them and Hermione was determined to win. She felt him probe at her mind. She pushed back against him. Even in their unholy, unstable alliance they would clash. She knew it as well as he did if not better. There were things that she would deny him, things that he wanted more than anything else in this world and he was not used to being told no. Students would fall over themselves to please him and he could manipulate teachers with more ease than anyone else she had seen. But she wouldn't be manipulated and she sure as hell was not going to go out of her way to give him what he wanted.

"I could always torture it out of you," he said, drawing his wand and taking a step forwards. Hermione continued to stare at him silently.

"I could make you scream louder than you've ever screamed before," he said, his voice becoming softer and softer, "I could make you gasp for air with every stroke of my wand, I could do things to you that no man has ever done before," his last words were a whisper, "I could make your very heart shudder."

She could hear something else behind his words, a subtle offering…an offering she wasn't sure she could deny. It was something they both wanted; she could see it in his eyes and feel it in her bones, but on top of being devoted and loving and loyal to another, she had the circumstantial and temporary gift of foresight. She knew it would end badly no matter how hard she tried to stop it. She couldn't let it happen. She just couldn't, not with all the lives depending on her. She drew her wand and pointed it at him, her eyes suddenly ablaze.

"You can try," she said quietly.

She could not stop her descent into his darkness, but she could stave it off for as long as possible and put candles in her path to make sure she could find her way back to the light of her soul. She would fight him until the bitter end to keep her identity firmly in place. She would not let him change her.

He stopped suddenly in his path. He stared at her wand hand and then drew his eyes upwards to hers. She was ready and willing to take him on and possibly endure more pain than she had ever felt in her life, all to protect her identity, her privacy, her secrecy…her sanity. He had known from the moment that he had met her that she was a woman who lived and breathed, ate and drank control. If she suddenly handed over her secrets to him, the only things tethering her to a sound mind…

He shot a spell from his wand faster than Hermione had ever seen. She had only seconds to dodge out the way, the spell hitting the side of her stocking, dripping blood down her leg. She could feel the faint slice on her calf but she didn't let it deter her. She got to her feet once more and made the dummies and cages fly straight at him. He blocked them easily but did not expect a well aimed Bat Bogey Hex to be just behind it. He narrowly escaped a boogery fate by creating a brick wall out of thin air. He exploded the wall, sending shards of bricks right for her that she turned to tiny droplets of water. She didn't care that her shirt had gone see-through; she didn't care that he could probably see every inch of her now that her skirt was sticking to her thighs; she didn't care that her hair was going to turn into a frizzy mess by the time she got out of there. She stood there, wand raised, ready for any attack he might throw at her.

She was more angry and more frustrated than she had ever been. She had been asked to do the impossible and she was doing it. But how much would it cost her? Her life? She could live or die with that, it didn't matter. What she couldn't live with was losing herself along the way. She had watched it happen to many people, people who were strong and wise and powerful and they always suffered greatly in the end. She was willing to give over her life to get revenge and save her country and the people she loved…she wasn't willing to give her soul.

"Are you quite finished?" She asked darkly, menacingly. He just stared at her. He seemed to be battling with himself once more, trying to make a decision that just didn't want to be made. He was looking at her but not really seeing her. It was almost like he was seeing someone else.

"I am a tolerant woman," she told him, "but I will not let you walk all over me. I will not let you change me for your own purposes. I will not be sucked into your sad, pathetic, lonely world."

She expected him to start firing again immediately and begin to throw unforgivables her way for defying him. What she didn't expect was for him to drop his wand.

"Damn it all to hell," he whispered.

She stared at him in confusion for a few moments until he began to walk towards her. He was in front of her in three quick strides, her back was against the wall in another and his lips were on hers immediately after that. She felt his hands at her waist and the base of her skull, not allowing her the room to move away from him. But her body had taken over, her mind had shut off and she was kissing him back without thinking. Her hands rested on his forearms as he pressed himself closer to her and their fiery, sultry kiss deepened. A tension that had been surrounding them for the past few days finally released. She dropped her own wand, completely forgetting who she was with, completely forgetting why she was there and plunged herself deeper into a twisted web that would never let her go. She let him run his hands all over her body in ways that Ron never had. He didn't show any respect towards her, didn't follow any boundaries that may have been put up. He simply allowed his raw desire to take over and willed her to do the same…

But she couldn't. As his lips left hers to trail down her throat she opened her eyes for a moment. Just a moment. An insignificant second of time. She spotted her wand. Her eyes widened and she gasped from both pleasure and pain. Her heart began to burn and her eyes started to well up.

"No," she whispered. She knew he had heard her but he still wouldn't let her go. He continued to do things to her that Ron had never even thought of. She felt his cool hand under her shirt, trailing the bare skin of her back and she gasped again at the touch. She knew he could feel her trying to pull away from him and he was doing a damn good job of trying to keep her there willingly. For someone who had never had a girlfriend before, he was pretty good at this.

His lips were on hers again, reclaiming her attention from the wand. But then something more powerful pulled her away from him, something she had held onto for dear life ever since this mission had begun. As he undid the buttons of her shirt, her engagement ring came into view. The moment she saw it she pushed him away with all her might and leaned against the wall for support.

"I can't do this," she whispered heavily, trying to catch her breath again. He only stared at her, breathing heavily himself. His expression was blank, almost confused. Whether it was because of her actions or his she was unsure. She hastily did up her buttons, straightened her skirt, picked up a wand and made to leave. When she drew even with him, he caught her hand. They both stared at opposite walls, unmoving, unthinking, just feeling. Feeling the electricity flow between them, feeling the heat that coated each other's skin while they were near one another. He wasn't going to stop her from leaving tonight, this wasn't an attempt to keep her there. This was communication. Showing her that there was something there, showing her something she could no longer deny herself. She looked down as she softly withdrew her hand from his grip and walked at a slower pace out the door.

It wasn't until she got back to her rooms, inside her bed chamber with the door locked and Severus and Draco were hammering on it with their fists and wands…did she realise that she had picked up the wrong wand.


	15. The Greater Good

**Hello Lovely Readers!**

**Here's the next Chapter, sorry it took a while. I've been focusing on Objection Overruled for a while to get that going too. Please read and review and let me know if you're confused about anything.  
**

**Thanks guys!**

* * *

Chapter Fifteen: The Greater Good

Tom stood there for the longest time after she left, listening to the sound of his heavy breathing and remembering the feel of her lips on his. He had imagined in the privacy of his mind what it would be like to kiss a girl, to feel her run her fingers through his hair, to hear her sighing his name. He had always seen it as being plain and simple. Lips moving together, hands at hips, hands in hair, something completely methodical. It was something that he never thought that he would want to experience. He had caught enough students at night going at it to know what was involved, to see what was going on and to know what was expected. He had surmised that some form of pleasure was supposed to come from it though he had never figured out how.

Now he knew.

He had known ever since that moment in the hospital wing that he wanted to kiss her. This overwhelming pull towards her lips had taken him over. He had seen the beauty of her skill on the battle field, seen the beauty of her mind in the classroom and had broken down his admiration for her into a tiny thought of respect. He had thought at first that he only thought of her as a possible Death Eater in the making but the moment he had turned her around he realised that he wanted something more. It scared him. More than anything else in this world. He had fought off hoards of witches since the age of eleven so that he could keep his head clear and in his school work, in his plans. He was the pinnacle of self control and restraint…and along comes this strange, smart, mysterious girl who shatters everything in a mere month. He knew he didn't love her. He wasn't capable of it. He had known that from a very young age but this didn't stop him from wanting her. He was a teenage boy after all. However evil he may be, he still had hormones and right now they were racing. He had struggled with himself for days not to drag her into the shadows and hold her there until she gave in. He had fought with himself for hours before their lesson not to change it into something else and even before the idea of kissing her popped into his mind he had let himself slip. Standing so close to her, putting his hands on her, breathing in her scent, resting his head on her shoulder. And then they had gotten into that duel and her intoxicating beauty had taken him over once more. He forgot about his plans, he let go of his resolve, he cast everything else aside and just did what his body and mind had been begging him to do for the last three days.

And it had been wonderful. That pleasure that he had seen others take from their partners, that rush that his followers had talked about while with a girl…but what was he thinking? Hermione wasn't a girl. She was a fully fledged, beautiful, complex, smart, talented and potentially deadly woman. She had the potential to be his equal in every possible way and now that he had experienced what kind of high she could offer him in more ways than just one…he would do anything to keep the addiction he had built. She had to be his. He wouldn't have it any other way and if he couldn't have her then no one could.

There were only two things standing between him and his goal now, two things that she also saw as problems. He had no idea why _she_ wanted to get rid of them, probably had some courageous idea in her head that she would be saving them from him if she got them to leave. And that was probably true. But the point was that her so called uncle and her fake fiancé were thorns in his side. How she had managed to get away that night was beyond him. Her fiancé treated her like a child and the appearance of that uncle was likely another obstacle to pass. He would rid them from their path soon enough. But the lengths she had to go to, to try and get to him that night only proved to him that she wanted him as well. She had felt it too, that electric current running through their veins at every touch. She wouldn't have let him stay with her for so long if she didn't. It was mutual all the way. It was only that now that the roles had been reversed. She was in denial this time. He could feel it. Oh but he would convince her if it was the last thing he did. She belonged with him now, to him now. There was no way she would ever escape him.

***

He stood outside her bedroom door early the next morning with a pensive, patient look on his face. He would need all the patience he could muster if this was going to work. He wrapped his knuckles on the wood of the door and waited for a response. There was rustling, a large amount of swearing and a few growls of annoyance if he was accurate. In a matter of seconds the door flew open to reveal two very peeved looking men. At the sight of him however, they went from peeved to completely furious. Tom was sure that only a smidgen of fear was keeping them from attacking him.

"What the hell do you want?" Draco asked.

"At such an early hour?" Severus asked too.

"I need to see Miss Evans," he said plainly.

"You may find yourself unlucky in that department," Severus told him, "She will not come out of her room."

"What did you do?" Draco snarled.

"You may discard the loving, protective, oh so charming fiancé act," Tom snarled at him causing him to step back slightly, "I know she isn't engaged to you."

"That may be-" Severus was cut off.

"And you may stop pretending to be a relative that you are most obviously not," Tom told him off too, "She may be a marvellous actress but your skills are somewhat lacking."

If the timing was appropriate, Severus would have rolled his eyes at the irony. Instead he just stood there and put on his best threatening scowl. Not that it did much. Tom pushed his way past the two men and into Hermione's rooms. He felt the eyes of the other two on him and knew that he would not get another chance to do this once he spoke to Hermione. He had best act now.

"Before I speak to Miss Evans, I think it is time that the three of us have a little chat," he said lightly as he turned around to face them. They continued to scowl to no end.

"What kind of chat?" Severus asked, almost pleasantly.

"You obviously have more brains than _this_ buffoon," Tom indicated to Draco, "You figure it out."

Severus dug his fingers into Draco's shoulder before the formerly blond boy could respond. Draco's temper often got the better of him in situations like these. Now was not the time to act like an over impulsive Gryffindor.

"You wish for us to leave," Severus stated, "So that you may court Hermione without us getting in your way."

"Court?" Draco asked incredulously.

"Only one thing could have made Hermione shut us out the way she did last night," Severus told him while still looking at Tom who was smirking like a Cheshire cat, "And that thing stands before us now."

Draco suddenly took a menacing step forward, almost snarling at the calm and collected Tom Riddle.

"What did you do to her?!" He demanded, "If you hurt her, so help me Merlin-"

"She didn't have anything done to her that she didn't want," Tom told him quietly, "But that is beside the point. I don't wish to _court_ her as you so eloquently put it. She may be useful to me and if I have to use certain…talents to get her to do what I want then I will."

He began to twirl Hermione's wand lazily between his fingers as he gazed around the rooms. The other two continued to glare at him like no tomorrow, too angry to notice which wand was currently spinning between his fingers.

"You can threaten us all you want," Draco suddenly burst out, "But we won't leave her. You'll have to kill us first."

Tom smirked.

"I thought as much," he told them, "Which means she is useless to me."

"You just said-"

"How am I supposed to convert her to my side when she has such loyal, pestilent puppies protecting her?" He asked them with a note of sarcasm.

The other two stared at him in confusion and defiance.

"I had thought at first that killing you would be the best way to go," he continued, taking a look out the window, "But then it became apparent to me that she actually cares for you. Why or how, I could never imagine but she does. If I so much as harmed a single hair on your heads she would know and she would never give me the time of day again. I thought then that turning her against you would be the perfect plan, but once more I find this to be difficult when I discover that she's loyal to you as well. But then it occurred to me. A tiny little saying placed itself within my mind. Do you know what it was?"

Neither of the other two spoke and he smirked at the window before turning back to them.

"Out of sight, out of mind," he said, "Such a funny thing to say and yet so entirely true. If you don't see or hear from something for a very long time then it suddenly disappears from memory, it is no longer important. That is what _you_ will become. A distant memory to her."

"We won't leave," Draco reiterated to him once more.

"If you don't leave," Tom said simply, "I'll kill her."

The two men froze in place and stared at him. They had never once expected anything like this before. Not once in all their years of dealing with the Dark Lord had this problem ever surfaced. He had never been interested in another human being the way he was interested in Hermione. They would never have been able to predict his reaction to something like this, but then again, how could they ever expect to? He was the Dark Lord, the very incarnation of evil, the total embodiment of a soulless pit.

"As I said," he continued, "How am I to persuade her to my side when she has the two of you to hold onto? Fragments, memories of an undoubtedly golden past. If I am to show her, her true path, then I need the pebbles to the old to be scattered and lost so that she may never find her way back. So I will give you until dinner this evening to say goodbye and set up a scene that allows you to leave without suspicion. If you have nothing by then, then I will end her life the moment I get her alone. And I _will_ get her alone."

There was no doubt about that. Severus and Draco knew with every confidence that he would be able to get her alone. He could do it between classes and no one would care. He could lure her off into the forest. He could do so many things just to keep her away from a crowd and then have his wicked way with her before discarding her in a ditch somewhere. And no one would ever find her either. He would hide her body in that ditch so thoroughly that it would take years to uncover it.

"So what is it going to be?" Tom asked them simply.

They mulled it about in their minds. They couldn't lose her. She was everything to this mission, everything. The future of the Wizarding World was depending on her to succeed. And on top of this, though they would never admit it to either one another or her, they did care for her. She had been a comfort to the both of them ever since they rejoined the Order, the only one who would speak to them whilst they were under suspicion of being in contact with the other side. They had a duty to do right by her as well as right by the rest of the wizarding world. So the question then came to mind…What would she choose? Would she rather be alive, in constant danger and under the potential threat of being against everything she stood for? Or would she rather die knowing that she did all she could to save those who knew nothing of her location, mission or struggles? And if they did choose to leave her alone with him now it would mean doing something that neither of them liked the thought of. It would mean trusting her. It would mean placing all their faith in her and having hope that she would have the strength to withstand him. Regardless of what Severus may have said in the past his resolve was starting to wear off. He would trust her with his life but he could see now that she was starting to descend into chaos. He didn't know if he could leave her to this ill deserved fate. She didn't deserve any of this.

It was the age old question that Dumbledore and even Grindlewald had been preaching since before any of them could remember…What must we sacrifice for the greater good?

Severus suddenly grabbed a hold of Draco's shoulder again and began to steer him out of the room. He protested loudly at being manhandled but after a firm glare from Severus he ceased to make a fuss. Severus shoved him out the door before turning back to Tom with a firm, imperious scowl.

"You will have your answer by this evening," he told him. Tom gave him a curt nod as the older man and his companion closed the door behind them.

Tom gave a sigh before moving over to the door that lead to Hermione's chambers…

***

Hermione sat there most of the night staring at the infernal piece of wood that lay before her on her bed. She refused to touch it more than she had to and refused to look at it more than her tired and frustrated and confused mind would allow. It was a piece of evil. It had committed and would commit many crimes. It had murdered and would murder still. It had tortured innocent souls and would continue to do so. Just having it in her very presence was sickening. The only thing that kept her from snapping it and throwing it into the roaring fire was…She didn't even have a reason anymore. _She_ now held Harry's wand…or at least she would when she got it back. There was no reason for her to hold onto Riddle's when Harry would never receive his wand, when Harry would not have the power of the twin cores to save him. Priori Incantatum was no longer a factor in her best friend's life or death. Either way, this wand would smite him in the end and Riddle would win unless she found some impossible way to stop him.

But it wasn't just the wand that had kept her awake that night. She had been kissed by all of four men in her life time. Her first kiss had gone to Viktor Krum. It was sweet, innocent, like she used to be. Something that every girl's first kiss should have been. Viktor had given it to her as a parting gift when he had left to go back to Bulgaria after the Triwizard tournament. Up until then it had been just the occasional hold of the hand and talking and a few innocent pecks on the cheek She had wanted to kiss him properly but he had refused, being the perfect gentleman that he was, saying that he wished to give her, her first kiss properly when the time was right. It was just a pity that the right time was when he was leaving.

The second had been a very drunk Fred Weasley at the end of fifth year at the 'UMBRIDGE FINALY SNUFFED IT!' party. Of course she hadn't really snuffed it but the point was still valid. He had gotten up in front of everyone there (including all three of his siblings) and proclaimed that Ron was an utter idiot for letting Hermione go around single and supremely attractive the way that she was. Hermione blushed three times over and turned into a tomato the moment he pulled her up with him and laid one on her. Needless to say Ron didn't speak to him for a full month, though Fred had secretly confided in her later on that it was all to let Ron know that he wasn't the only bloke that was attracted to her in the castle that year. That kiss had been pretty spectacular. If Fred had been a master at anything, it was surely kissing. It had made her wonder for weeks if George was just as good.

Her third kiss had gone to Ron and that was by far the most fulfilling moment of her life. When he had finally gotten the guts to ask her out or even hint at the fact that he wanted to move their friendship into something more, she bypassed all the rules, forgot about the date entirely and just jumped on him with so much enthusiasm that they both toppled onto the common room floor…and just stayed there. All her kisses from then on had gone straight to him and she had never once wanted them to go anywhere else. Sure, she had held onto them a bit after her run in with the Death Eaters, but after that they had come back at full force and run straight back to their owner.

But it was her fourth kiss that plagued her. It had been fiery, full of passion that she had never felt before and it scared her. The way his lips had moved against her, the way he had tortured her with his rough, urgent caresses. He had wanted her badly that night. If she hadn't stopped him…she didn't even want to fathom how far they would have gone. She had no doubt in her mind that she would have been consumed by him had she not seen her ring, that subtle reminder of who she was, of who was waiting for her when she got home. He had such a hold over her now, she could feel it. She should have listened to Draco when he had told her that this would happen. She should have listened to him but she just continued to be the stubborn, naïve little girl that she was and refused to hear what he had to say. She could have benefitted from his knowledge greatly now, but it was lost to her.

There was only one option left to her now. She couldn't avoid the attraction between them anymore than she could wake up from an imaginary dream. She knew what he would do with this…thing between them. He would use it as a weapon against her, make her feel strongly for him and let it stay that way. He had used it with Bellatrix, what was to stop him from using it now? No, if he was going to fight dirty, then she had to fight dirty back. She decided that she would use it in much the same way that he would. She would get under his skin, crawl beneath his walls and gain what she needed without him even noticing what he had done. With a sting to her chest she realised that this was the only way. From the very beginning she had been looking for ways to gain his trust and now it had been handed to her on a silver platter. But it would mean putting herself, her morals, her values, her entire life aside. She would have to forget Ron and Draco and Severus and everyone else and plunge herself into his web of darkness and destruction…and she wasn't so sure that she could do that.

She looked down at the wand that was laid before her, perfectly still on the bed. She then dove a hand down her shirt to retrieve her engagement ring. Could she really do this? If Ron ever found out what extent she had to go to, to get what they needed…She felt a shudder go up her spine. With a jolt of fear she realised that going there wouldn't be the problem. Some strange, twisted part of her wanted to go there. It was retrieving herself and keeping herself intact afterwards that would be the challenge. She wouldn't ever be the same again if she did this and that was the part that she couldn't live with.

It was the age old question that Dumbledore and even Grindlewald had been preaching since before any of them could remember…What must we sacrifice for the greater good?

There was a sudden knock on her door. It wasn't Draco's distracting hammer, nor was it Severus's subtle tap. It was a polite and yet demanding wrap, ordering her to open the door in such a way that she actually wanted to.

"Who is it?" She asked hesitantly.

"Tom Riddle," he replied softly, "Open the door."

Her breath caught in her throat as she heard him speak. Whether she could live with it or not, she had to start her decline that very minute. She could only pray that she would be able to claw her way out of the darkness he planned to shroud her in. She climbed off of the bed gracefully and moved to the door. She undid all of her magical wards as well as unlocking it the muggle way and stepped back to allow him entrance. He looked down at her, unsmiling and yet seeming more approachable than usual. He looked down at her subtly, noting that she was still in her night gown and yet there were fresh bags under her eyes.

"Good morning," he said.

"Good morning," she said back.

He stepped out of the doorway and moved inside the room silently. He had never been inside a girl's bedchamber before so this was rather strange to him. There were clothes everywhere, a sign of a rather disorganized lifestyle. There were no fluffy pink animals or silk bed covers as he expected every girl to have. Instead there were text books and cotton sheets. Very practical. But how could he expect anything less of his little soldier? She was the epitome of practicality, of knowledge, of logic.

"How can I help you?" She asked him quietly.

He turned back to her swiftly and dove his hand into his pocket, pulling out her-Harry's wand. He stepped forward, so that he was mere inches from her and held it out for her to accept.

"I believe this belongs to you," he said softly. All these hushed tones were really doing her head in. Then again, his close proximity didn't help either. She latched onto the wooden handle, his fingers brushing over hers delicately as he stared down at her intensely. His other hand crept up to brush a stray curl behind her ear. At this point, she lost her resolve to play his games and stepped away from him. She walked over to the bed and picked up his wand for the first time since she had left it there. She stood at least a meter away as she handed it to him. He gave a dark chuckle as he smirked and took it from her.

"You're frightened of me," he laughed, "I threaten to torture you, I threaten to kill your friends and I undermine you every chance I get yet you still think nothing of me. Now that I all of a sudden want to get close you run scared. I should have kissed you sooner."

He gave another chuckle before sitting himself on her bed. She looked away from him and walked over to the window.

"I'm not afraid of you," she said quietly.

He snorted at her as he twirled his wand in his hand. At that she suddenly felt stronger.

"I'm not afraid of you," she said more confidently as she turned to face him, "You're pushy, you're evil, you're completely vile and you're capable of deeds that make my skin crawl but I am _not_ afraid of you."

He gave another smirk to her as he stood from the bed and moved over to the window to join her. Once more he was so close that she could feel his breath on her face as he lifted her gaze to his eyes with two fingers under her chin.

"Hermione," he said with amusement in his voice, "My dearest Hermione, do believe me to be so stupid? I know you too well. I've watched you since the moment you entered this castle and I can tell you that your every move in my presence gives you away. You _are_ afraid of me, but it's not because I'm vile or evil or capable of deeds that make your skin crawl. It's because I am all those things and you still want me in spite of them."

She froze under his touch as his other hand moved to her waist and pulled her against him.

"You are afraid," he whispered to her, "But you have no need to be."

She felt her eyes closing against her will as the hand under her chin slid to her neck in a smooth caress of her skin. She felt heat building under his fingers, where his body met hers. It felt heavenly and sinfully delicious at the same time. She knew it was wrong with all her being and yet she couldn't find the strength to stop him from placing his lips upon hers. This kiss was softer than the night before and yet it held the same urgency, the same passion as before. She felt her back collide with the wall, just like before and she knew that it would take a hell of a lot more to stop them this time than the sight of her engagement ring which was currently lying on her bed out of her immediate vision. She wrapped her hands in his hair as he became more demanding and began to respond to him fully. She felt his hands slide beneath her thighs as he picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He moved to her neck, worshiping her with his lips as she threw her head back in ecstasy. It was when he began to move them that certain thoughts occurred to her.

"We have to go to class," she said hoarsely, her eyes still closed.

"Not for two hours," he whispered back.

"What about Severus and Draco?" she asked.

"They went out," he told her.

"We'll miss breakfast."

"Who cares?"

He laid her across the bed gracefully, his hand slipping beneath her night dress to caress her thigh as he returned his lips to hers. He frowned slightly when she suddenly froze. He opened his eyes to see her looking at him confusedly.

"What?" He asked.

"They went out?" She asked sceptically.

"Yes," he said simply, trying to return his lips but she put her hand in the way.

"I find it hard to believe that they just left me alone with you," she told him, "Especially after my reaction last night."

He suddenly looked amused again.

"And just what was your reaction last night?" He asked her as he decided to attack her neck again instead of her lips but she moved once more out of his reach.

"A very bad one," she told him, staring him straight in the eye, "What did you say to make them leave?"

"Nothing much," he said as he tried once more to claim her but apparently he had lost his chance as she once again moved.

"What did you say?" She asked him.

He suddenly glowered at her in a threatening manor…not that it did anything to change her resolve. He gave a growl before taking himself off of her and rearranging his robes once more.

"What are you doing?" She asked him, suddenly confused.

"Getting out of your way before you do something stupid," he said as he straightened his tie.

"Excuse me?" She asked with a sudden laugh.

"You've tried to hurt me at least twice now when I have said something that you didn't want to hear," he explained, "I'm not going to risk it again."

Her left over smile from her laughing suddenly disappeared and she looked at him with a mixture of fear and rage.

"What did you do to them?" She asked as she suddenly drew her wand. Tom rolled his eyes as he pulled out his own slowly.

"You can't beat me in a duel Hermione," he told her dryly, "Don't bother to try."

"I seemed to fare pretty well last night," she replied.

"Because that was the beginner's round," he told her, "You have no idea what I'm capable of."

"You saw me on the battle field," she contested, "You know what I can do."

"That was what you can do with a blade," he corrected her, "Not what you can do with a wand. If you didn't have those things you would have been in as much the same position as Eileen."

She froze as she stared at him with accusing eyes. It had just occurred to her that she _had_ been in the same position but not because of her lack of weaponry. She drew her wand up higher to point between his eyes. He seemed to pick up on her change of mood.

"You have been in that position haven't you?" He asked. She ignored his question.

"What did you say to _them_?" She asked him fiercely.

"I'm not going to tell you when you are at the point of attempting to hex me," he said plainly.

"I will hex you if you _don't_ tell me," she said with a growl, lurching forward in calculated steps.

"You can try," he told her with a smirk.

"You know I will," she said with a scowl.

He tried to stare her down but the fire in her eyes told him that he wouldn't have much affect. None the less, he tried anyway and just as he suspected he failed. He then decided on a different approach. After all, actions speak louder than words. He walked up to her slowly until the tip of her wand was at his chest. She slid it up to his throat when he tried to bend his face forward. She poked it firmly into his jugular when he tried again. On the third try she attempted to slap him but he caught her hand and drove her back into the wall once more. If there was one strength he held over her it was definitely physical. He slammed her other wrist against the stone and her wand dropped out of her hand immediately. With a smirk in his eyes he realised that it was now safe. He leaned his face forward one last time and connected his lips with her cheek. He felt her grow hot beneath him and stepped back after that to admire her glow. He continued to smirk as he walked backwards to the door and she scowled at him with more anger than he had ever seen from her before. Completely breathtaking.

"I'll see you at breakfast," he told her before he stepped out of her room.


	16. Different

**Hello Lovely Readers!**

**SORRY SORRY SORRY!!! I know it's been ages! Please don't shoot me! *looks around for fire and pitch forks* School has really taken a priority for me lately. You know what they say...NCEA is an important qualification blah blah blah. Thank you to everyone who's been holding on for me. I promise, no matter what _I will not stop writing this story!_  
**

**Thanks guys!**

* * *

Chapter Sixteen: Different

Hermione left her room frazzled and frustrated half an hour later. She didn't bother with breakfast and simply made her way to her first class, taking her seat with a nasty scowl on her face. If Riddle was anything to her these days, it was completely infuriating. He refused to tell her anything! When ever he decided to open his mouth it was to ask a question or to say something confusing or give her some other problem to solve. She didn't have the time or patience for this!

She gave an indignant huff as she sat at her desk, slamming her books on the solid wood.

"Something troubling you Miss Evans?"

She turned to see the twinkling eyes of Albus Dumbledore staring down at her with concern.

"It's nothing sir," she said, tight lipped.

"Forgive me if I am too bold," he said as he sat before her in the opposite desk, "But would I be right in saying that your current scorn is aimed at Mr Riddle?"

"Among others sir," she admitted to him.

"Ah yes," he sighed, "I had a feeling that the arrival of your Uncle Leopold would be more than unwelcome."

"How did you figure that out sir?" She asked, her eyebrows knitting together.

"You've never once spoken of family since you came here," he told her softly, "This led us to believe that you either didn't have one, or didn't want one."

"His coming here has been…highly inconvenient," she told him, "He's getting in the way."

"In the way of what?" He asked her. It was when the door to the classroom opened that she realised she had said too much and for the first time that morning she was grateful for Tom's presence in the room. He came to sit next to her, giving the professor a polite smile which was returned.

"Good morning Tom," Dumbledore said to him lightly.

"Good morning Professor," he said back. Dumbledore then turned back to Hermione.

"If you have any concerns Miss Evans," he said to her, "Or if you wish to continue this conversation, feel free to knock on my door. I shall have some lemon drops waiting for you."

"Thank you sir," she smiled as he moved away to the front of the class as the rest of the seventh years filed in. She went to go and get her books but suddenly noticed that Tom was holding her hand under the desk so tightly that she couldn't move.

"What conversation is he talking about?" He asked her softly.

"Nothing for you to be concerned about," she said back dismissively.

He turned to look her fully in the eyes. His stare was intruding and harsh and it made her internally shiver. It was accusing her of things she had nothing to do with in this time period.

"If I ever find out that you are spying for him-"

She cut him off with cruel and quiet laugh.

"Do you really think me such a fool?" She asked him, "If I wanted to die I would have let them kill me months ago."

His stare changed lightly from accusing to begrudged acceptance. He lessened the pressure on her hand but did not let go until she removed herself from his grasp. Through out the lesson he made little touches, reminding her of their heated moment up in her rooms. A feather light grazing of her thigh, his hand bumping into hers every now and then and even the occasional grazing of her cheek when he thought no one was looking but his faithful Slytherins. She was receiving the worst confused looks from Eileen and she knew that she wouldn't escape interrogation that night. After they had cleaned the feathers away from a lesson of turning each other into different species of birds (Tom turning her into a beautiful little sparrow and she being told to turn her wand on Abraxus rather than his lordship) they began to make their way to the next lesson.

"Here's hoping that Merry-Thought has something easy planned," Cygnus yawned, "I'm exhausted."

"It's ten in the morning Cygnus," Hermione laughed at him, "And you've only had one lesson. How could you possibly be exhausted?"

That question was answered when a blushing Druella walked by them and Cygnus gave her a goofy smile. Tom rolled his eyes, Hermione smirked and the other two laughed.

"How on earth did that happen?" Eileen asked after a while.

"All I know," Abraxus half scowled, "Is that I walked into the common room last night, expecting to play a game of chess with my best friend and all I get is a dishevelled looking Druella coming down from our dorms and that same goofy smile on his face once he decided to make an appearance."

Hermione couldn't help but burst out laughing at the magnificent and uncharacteristic blush that was spreading over Cygnus's face. Her laughing gradually faded however when she felt someone latch onto her hand.

"I hope you aren't telling your friends about that _thing _I did last night."

She turned to see Draco looking at her and she smiled at him as she stopped walking.

"Not at all dear," she said to him, "Your potentially embarrassing moments are for my entertainment only."

She couldn't help but notice as Draco's lips met hers that Tom was staring at them as blankly as possible. That was always a bad sign.

"What do you have next?" Draco asked her in a soft whisper.

"Defence," she told him with a smile.

"Do you think Professor Merry-Thought would allow you a few minutes grace?" He asked her, "I need to speak with you."

"Merry-Thought is reasonable," she said to him before turning to the others, "You go ahead. I'll catch up in a minute."

Most of them gave her nods of approval and knowing smirks, however Tom suddenly stepped forwards and lightly grabbed a hold of her elbow.

"I'm sorry Mr Malone," he said, "But Hermione has to be in class next period."

Hermione turned to him with a firm look in her eyes but faltered slightly at the look in his. It was more determined, more frightening than any other look she had ever seen from him. There was a dark passion lurking behind his iris's that made her bite back the angry retort that she had planned.

"Surely Merry-Thought would let her go for a few minutes," Draco said to Tom.

"It doesn't matter whether she would or wouldn't," Tom said firmly, "I happen to know what Merry-Thought is going to be teaching this morning and it is absolutely imperative that she be there."

With that, Tom grabbed a hold of her arm and started to drag her up the halls. She struggled against his grip as much as she could but she couldn't fight him off as the others began to follow them with confused looks. Hermione finally decided to stop struggling and turned around and began to walk with him until he felt it safe to let her go. It was then that she marched ahead of him slightly and then stopped directly in front of him.

"What the hell is your problem?" She demanded of him.

"Keep walking," he said coldly, staring down at her. He sent chills up her spine with his words and his ever frightening glower but she refused to move.

"Not until you tell me what's got your wand so far up your-HEY!"

He suddenly scooped her up in his arms and threw her over his shoulder and continued walking up the halls as though nothing was wrong. She smacked her fists against his back and tried to kick him as hard as possible and still he continued to carry her. She looked at the others, who had just caught up, for help but they just stared at her with astonished expressions. Apparently it wasn't practice for the Dark Lord to pick up women and carry them cave man style into a classroom.

"Mr Riddle!"

As Tom sat her down in a seat she saw Professor Merry-Thought look at him, completely appalled by his behaviour. Hermione smirked. Thank god Merry-Thought was a woman.

"Good morning Professor," Tom smiled at her dazzlingly. Hermione scowled. Crap, Merry-Thought was a woman.

"What reason could you possibly have for handling Miss Evans in that diabolical manner?" She said, her eyes hard as she glared at him.

"She had refused to come to class," he told her innocently, "And when she broke through my incarcerous spell I had no choice but to physically bring her here."

"Surely you could have just turned her in the right direction and kept her in front of you," Merry-Thought suggested after her gazed softened a bit.

"She's very fast Professor," Tom told her with a bit of a shrug. Hermione scowled at the both of them. Tom for pouring on the charm and Merry-Thought for falling for it. Merry-Thought seemed to deliberate it for a while before her face broke out into a small smile. Stupid old bat.

"Very well Tom," she said, "I'll let you off this time. But do remember that however close you are with Miss Evans, she is to be married soon. I doubt that her fiancé would approve of you handling her like that."

"No Professor," he said as he bowed his head in supposed shame.

"Think before you act next time," she told him before she walked to the front of the room.

"Yes do," Hermione hissed at him, "Otherwise you might find yourself in a little more trouble than you can handle."

"You don't frighten me Evans," he said to her with a smirk.

"I might just have to rectify that," she muttered and his smirk widened. The others just continued to look at them completely confused as they walked in. They were once more sitting together, though that was due to that fact that Tom wouldn't let her move, they were exchanging banter like it was a natural thing and he appeared to be touching her constantly…What the hell was going on? Only two days ago they had been ready to rip each other's heads off and now…

"Right class," they all turned to the front of the room to see Merry-Thought standing there with Dumbledore and Callus as well as Dippet. Odd.

"In light of recent events," she told them, "Professor Dippet has informed me that it is my duty to enhance your duelling skills. For the next week or so we will be holding a tournament. Seventh year students versus Teachers."

The class buzzed with excitement and some with a little fear. Merry-Thought held up her hands to silence them.

"Now, now, settle," she said, "You have all almost competed your wizarding training and know just as much as we do when it comes to duelling. You all stand a chance at winning against your professors. It will just come down to your concentration, creativity and raw magical instinct. Now, the rules are as follows; once you lose a duel, you are out of the tournament. No ifs, buts or maybes about it. And the only magical weapon you are allowed in your duel is a wand. This puts everyone on an even Quidditch Pitch."

"What does the winner of the tournament get?" Abraxus suddenly asked.

"Besides the loving adoration of their peers?" Merry-Thought asked and then laughed, "Don't worry Mr Malfoy, we have a prize waiting for the winner."

The class buzzed once more.

"Right we've already drawn names for opponents and they are as follows," she continued, "Mr Riddle shall take on Professor Slughorn."

The class clapped. Slughorn gave Tom a bow and Tom inclined his head to his professor. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Mr Malfoy shall take on Professor Dippet."

Applause once more as Malfoy groaned.

"Too easy," he muttered and Hermione laughed.

"Mr Black shall duel with Professor Brindom."

Cygnus smirked.

"Excellent," he said, "I've been meaning to pay him back for a while."

"Here's hoping he doesn't try to alter everyone's memories once you win," Hermione giggled.

"Professor Cassio will duel with Miss Prince, Mr Potter will duel with Professor Dumbledore, Mr Price…"

The list continued on like that for quite a while until finally there was only one student and one teacher left.

"…Which leaves Miss Granger and Professor Callus," Merry-Thought smiled, "My goodness that will be a duel to watch."

"Definitely," Hermione muttered. She could feel Riddle tense beside her. He didn't like the idea of this either.

"With that, I think we should get a start on the fist duel!" Merry-Thought continued, "Mr Riddle, Professor Slughorn, if you please?"

Tom brushed his hand against hers under the table before he went to join Slughorn on the stage that had been conjured before them. Tom had a polite smile on his face where as Professor Slughorn held a typically Slytherin smirk.

"I'm not going to go easy on you Tom," he told his student.

"I wouldn't dream of it Professor," he said back, continuing to smile.

"You will begin on the count of three," Merry-Thought commanded, "One…two…THREE!"

Tom struck so fast that Slughorn hadn't even moved. He silently cast an expelliarmus and an incarcerous straight after, leaving Slughorn on the floor wriggling like a giant worm and Tom standing with the same polite smile on his face and Slughorn's wand in his hand. Hermione, like the rest of the class, didn't know _what_ to think. She clapped dazedly along with the rest and just looked at him as he set Slughorn free and sat next to her once more.

"Impressed?" He asked her with a smirk.

"No," she told him, "Just surprised."

"What ever you say dear," he smirked again. The second duel went pretty well like the first with Abraxus cleaning up Dippet nicely and it appeared that Cygnus liked to play with his food. He made Brindom dance as he shot curses at the man's feet before getting a 'finish him, I'm bored' looking from Tom. Eileen ended up having a little more trouble with the Astronomy teacher and it was completely obvious who would win with Charlus Potter and Dumbledore. As the bell went it was decided that the second half of the duels would commence the next day and that they would draw for the next round straight after that. Hermione had to admit that Merry-Thought's way of teaching duelling was rather smart. She was giving her students practical knowledge as well as finding out their limits. At the same time, if students were inadequate the teachers that they were duelling would critique them…or in Tom's, Cygnus' and Abraxus case, critique the teachers.

They moved swiftly down the halls for lunch, Eileen's arm hooked within Hermione's, Abraxus and Cygnus just in front of them and Tom on Hermione's other side, his hand secretly touching the small of her back. She shivered a few times when she felt it make small circles over her clothing but she managed to hide it from Eileen who was scrutinizing her every now and then. They were almost at the Great Hall…when Severus stepped out in front of them. His eyes lingered on Eileen for a few moments before he turned back to her.

"Hermione," he greeted her.

She instantly put up her act and scowled.

"What do you want?" She asked him scathingly.

"I need a word with you," he told her seriously, "In private."

"Regarding?" She asked. Just as Severus was about to answer, Tom stepped in.

"Hermione needs to eat," he told him sternly, "You will not get in her way."

Her eyes flickered to him for a moment and back to Severus. Something was going on between the two of them and Draco that she didn't know about. It was becoming even more obvious to her by the minute. Why was Tom now so desperate for her not to see them?

"Her food can wait," Severus argued, "This is important."

"Your talk can wait for her wellbeing," Tom told him sternly before turning back to Hermione, "Go inside."

She didn't like being ordered, but seeing the same look on Riddle's face that had been there when Draco arrived; she did as she was told. She gave one last glare to Severus before darting inside with Eileen. Tom remained outside. When the two girls sat at the end of the Slytherin table, the interrogation began.

"What's all this?" Eileen asked her incredulously.

"Don't look at me," Hermione told her, holding up her hands in innocence, "I've got no idea what's running through that oversized head of his."

"Oh I think you do," Eileen waggled her finger in the other girl's face, "When you first came here you couldn't stand to be around him. You would have killed him if you were given the chance."

She wasn't denying that.

"Now you're just as opposed to him as Professor Dumbledore is to lemon drops," she continued, "He constantly sits next to you and you don't say a word against it, he's always by your side when we walk to classes and you don't even think about cursing him. He even stops you from seeing your fiancé and you let him get off scot free! What's going on?"

Hermione sighed and looked Eileen directly in the eye.

"We've…I don't know. I guess you could say we've reached an agreement," she told her, "I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him but we've come to the conclusion that we could do more working together than we ever could against one another."

"Are you sleeping with him?"

Hermione blinked at her.

"What?"

"Are you sleeping with him?" She asked again.

Hermione's face twisted into a mixture of horror and disgust that wasn't entirely accurate towards her feelings.

"What? No! Eileen, I'm due to be married!"

"That's my point," she hissed, "You're engaged Hermione! You shouldn't be getting close with other men, even though certain men are very tempting, devilishly charming and possibly better suited to you than any other man on the planet."

"I've made my choice," Hermione told her.

"Have you?" She scoffed. Hermione didn't get a chance to reply as Tom came to sit next to her. The conversation ended just as abruptly as it started and each woman began to dig into their lunch. Hermione's thoughts swam with irritation. Of course she had made her decision! She wasn't in love with Riddle! There was no way that that could happen! Sure, he was smart and good looking and was obviously interested in giving her things that Ron had never even thought of but that didn't change the fact that he was an evil manipulative miniature dark lord in the making! She could never love him, not after everything he had done, all the damage he had caused or would cause in the future. She was just letting him get close to her so that she could see into his safely guarded little world and learn everything that was necessary to kill him. Nothing he said or did would ever change that.

Hermione finished her beef stroganoff quickly and excused herself from the table. She wasn't in the mood to be around company at the moment, not if said company was going to accuse her of infidelity or make her think about it. It was just too much to bear. She marched quickly outside, only to be grabbed by the tops of her arms and pulled into the shadows of one of the large oak doors.

"I thought you'd never finish," he hissed at her, "Do you always eat this slow?"

"It's not my fault you never paid attention to my eating habits Draco," she replied, making sure that no one was around to hear them.

"I need to talk to you," he said.

"I gathered that by the way you tried to free me from my classes this morning," she told him, "What's the matter?"

At first he said nothing. He simply stared at her, his eyes darkening with remorse for what he was about to do. Her eyes suddenly caught the bags that were by his side.

"You didn't come with any luggage," she laughed at him, "I'm pretty sure I would have remembered having one of those landing on me."

He still stared at her. His hands suddenly started rubbing up and down her shoulders and she began to look at him with concern. They finally came to rest on hers, intertwining their fingers together. Hermione suddenly saw Severus lurking in the shadows on the other side of the wall as well. He had the same look of regret on his face that Draco did.

"Severus…" she began but couldn't complete. A large lump in her throat was beginning to form as she felt Draco's hands tighten around hers.

"Don't forget who you are," he said to her, "Don't forget where you came from and don't forget why you're here. You're too good for this Granger. This shouldn't have been your job."

"What the hell are you on about Draco?" She asked him.

But he didn't get a chance to reply. Both of their heads swivelled to see the Great Hall emptying before them, teachers marching them all outside as smoke followed after them. Smoke that smelled suspiciously of snargaluff pods. She caught a glimpse Before she knew what was going on, Draco tightened his hold of her hands and pulled her out of the shadows, the entire hall stood before them and watched, seeing as their lunch had to be cut short.

"I'm sorry 'Mione," he said to her in a thick voice, "I have to go back. The general sent me the orders yesterday…I can't put it off any longer."

Hermione froze and stared at him wide eyed. There was only one possible translation for that, a translation that she had been waiting to hear for so long but had never really thought through. She stayed stock still and felt that he was beginning to tremble. It wasn't any acting between them now.

"What?" She whispered, "No."

"I can't wait 'Mione," he whispered, bringing a hand up to her cheek, "I can't."

"Why?" She asked him loudly, her tight control suddenly fading away, "Why you and not me? Why didn't he ask for me?"

"I don't know," he told her, "All I know is that I have to go back to the front this afternoon."

"But," she stuttered, "B-but we're a-a team! They can't split us up!"

Involuntary tears flooded her eyes as she gazed at him. They spilt over her cheeks, wetting his finger tips as they rolled past. He bent his face forward to hers in the last kiss she would ever receive from him. It was so different from the rest, full of passion and hunger that he had never shown towards her before. In her side vision she could see Tom glaring at them with rage but she didn't care. If this was the last moment she had with Draco, she would drag it out for all eternity. She wrapped her arms around him and returned the kiss with just as much passion and vigour. When he broke away he pulled her to his chest and whispered to her.

"I'll find a way out," he said, "I'll come back for you. I won't leave you behind."

She saw Severus nodding over his shoulder, agreeing with him. She knew what he was really saying. _I won't leave you behind…with him_. they weren't abandoning her. they were relocating. He finally let go of her and staggered out the door, tears in his own eyes. She then saw Snape slip on Harry's invisibility cloak and slip out with him, giving her one last look of remorse and guilt. It was strange. She had imagined this moment within her mind for so long, them leaving. She had always thought that she would feel relief, happiness even. Instead of a weight being lifted off of her shoulders however, she had a gargantuan cloud shroud her in uncertainty and doubt. I rained heavily on her as she stood in the middle of the hall and everything suddenly became a reality. She suddenly felt weak, as though the only support that she had gave way on her and she collapsed to the floor, silent tears streaming down her face. She sat there, staring at the spot where he had just been and crying for several minutes until someone finally stepped forward. They wrapped their hands around her waist and hoisted her up onto her feet before scooping her into their arms. They began walking up the staircases slowly. She could feel their thumbs, making circles where their hands came into contact with her body. It was something that was meant to be comforting for sure, but she couldn't be comforted anymore. Not now.

"Hurts, doesn't it?" They asked, "You'll probably never see him again."

The voice was male. The person who was carrying her was definitely male. There was scorn there too. Such a level of it that she knew in the back of her grief muddled mind that it could only be a select few amount of the men in her life. But Severus had just vacated the building and hadn't spoken to her like that since she finished school. And Tom wouldn't speak to her like this unless she had done something to upset him. She then noticed that the circles he was drawing on her covered flesh weren't meant to be comforting at all. They were teasing.

"And you say you aren't a brainless trophy wife?" He spat at her as he climbed the stairs, "Yet here you are, _crying_ because your lover has left you. You're nothing extraordinary Evans. You never have been."

Where did all this hate come from? What had she done to deserve this?

"You're no better than any other poor excuse for a witch in this castle. In fact, you claim to be better when you are decidedly worse. Do you wish to know why?"

No she didn't. She didn't want to know anything anymore. Draco was gone and Severus with him. What was the point?

"Because you are both ignorant and arrogant at the same time. You think yourself so high and mighty, so powerful but you're really nothing at all. You're ignorant of your own faults and you are weak because of it."

He suddenly dropped her at the base of the door to her chambers. She looked up to see him glaring down at her, his dark locks swinging over his face as he bent down to her level.

"I will show you what real power is tomorrow Evans," Callus whispered as he placed a lock of hair behind her ear, caressing her cheek, "And you will never forget it."


	17. What Becomes of the Broken Hearted

**Hello Lovely Readers!**

**Here's the next bit. As usual, any questions, feel free to ask. Big thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter and I'm looking forward to seeing it again. A big welcome to all the new readers as well! So nice to see some new faces...or read about them anyway.  
**

**Thanks guys!**

* * *

Chapter Seventeen: What Becomes of the Broken Hearted

When she was picked up once more, she thought that Callus had come back to gloat some more, but this hold was severely different from his. While this still sported the same coldness as before there was more care to her person.

"Open the door," he said to someone she couldn't see. The door instantly opened and someone held it open.

"Should I get-"

"You will get nothing," he said coldly, "You will leave."

"My lord-"

"Do not question me," she could feel the malice and command in his tone as they lurched forward into her chambers. She felt herself being lowered down onto the sofa.

"My Lord she needs-"

"I know what she needs Malfoy," he said coldly, "Leave."

"Perhaps-"

"Both of you," he said to the other one. There was a soft clicking of a door handle as she was left alone with Tom Riddle. Tom Riddle. The name echoed within her mind. Tom Marvolo Riddle. I am Lord Voldemort. The Dark Lord. He Who Must Not Be Named. You-Know-Who. He went by many names but there was one thing that all those names held in common. They were the names of her enemy. She stirred slightly on the sofa and opened her eyes, focusing them as she sat up for the first time. She saw him over by the fireplace, gazing down into the dancing flames, deep in thought. She silently drew her wand as she looked at him, red suddenly blinding her vision. What he had said that morning suddenly made sense. Why he had been getting her to avoid them now made sense.

It was only a creaking of the floor boards that let him know that she was there. She raised her wand but it was gone from her hand with just a lazy flick of his wrist. He faced her with an expressionless visage. He could see her mind racing with rage, her heart beat picking up.

"Save it for tomorrow," he said to her quietly, "You'll need it then."

She said nothing. She just continued to lurch forward and scowl at him. It was his fault. Everything was his fault. Severus and Draco were gone. Her parents, Harry, Pavarti and everyone else were dead. The Order was reduced to a pack of squabbling children…and it was all his fault.

She suddenly sprang at him, a feral growl escaping her lips as she wrapped her fingers around his throat, fresh tears escaping her eyes. He ripped her hands away from his wind pipe and smashed her back against the opposing wall. She let out a grunt but said nothing as he held her there strongly, his face suddenly fierce.

"I'm twice your size," he said coldly, "And I'm not afraid to cause you pain no matter how…interesting you may be. Save your anger for Callus."

"And what good is anger going to do against him?" She spat at him.

He said nothing as he threw her from the wall to the floor. He looked down on her with such ice that she internally shivered. This wasn't Tom Riddle she spoke to any more. It just made her angrier and more confused. How could he be so tender one moment, at one time of day and so callous the next? He was an enigma, a puzzle that just didn't want to be solved, that had no reason to be solved.

He bent down to her level with that same penitent scowl. She recoiled slightly when he went to brush her cheek with his fingers, turning her head to the side so that he couldn't touch her. It wasn't out of fear. It was more out of anger than anything else. He didn't deserve to touch her. He didn't deserve to even look at her and the last thing she wanted to do was look at him. She averted her eyes in an angry glare to the floor, as though it was its fault that Draco and Severus had left.

"Why?" She suddenly whispered.

He looked at her confusedly until she turned her head to face him.

"Why did you make them leave?" She elaborated.

"Because you wanted them gone," he said without skipping a beat, "And because they were getting in my way."

Such a bold confession. Something she wasn't expecting from him.

"How'd you do it?" She asked quietly, "They looked so guilty."

"I told them something that wasn't entirely true," he said to her, reaching out to touch her again, "Something that has a very small chance of happening."

Something within her mind froze her to the floor as his fingers connected with her face. She let out a shuddering breath and tried as hard as she could to keep her stony visage but failed when his thumb began to stroke her cheek.

"You don't need them," he told her quietly, sitting next to her on the floor, "You don't need anyone."

"Not even you?" She asked, opening her eyes once more to stare at him, her scowl returning half heartedly. His face broke into a smirk.

"Just because you don't need something," he whispered as he pulled her face mere inches from his, "Doesn't mean you don't want it."

He touched his lips to hers softly and pulled back after a few seconds. This wasn't the time to confuse the living hell out of her. This wasn't the time to give into his primal desires and take what should be rightfully his. He stood, taking her up with him and scooping her into his arms, he marched up the stairs to her bedroom and placed her softly on her four poster bed.

"You are excused from classes for the rest of the day," he told her, "But I will see you tonight for my first lesson."

With that, he left her exhausted and willing to agree to anything as her head hit the pillow and she drifted into a fitful sleep.

***

Tom sat within her chambers for the rest of the afternoon, not bothering to leave. He had no desire to go to classes and if anyone asked he could simply say that he was worried for her. Cygnus and Abraxus popped by between their lessons to see how she was doing, braving their master's wrath by trying to intervene with her care. They must have really cared for her to go that far. Stupid idiots. Eileen also came by and Tom allowed her upstairs without so much as a second thought. Eileen was the closest thing that Hermione had to a friend here…and they needed to set the scene of a broken hearted woman in order for the performance in the Great Hall to be believable. Who better to spread the word than Eileen? Professors Merry-Thought and Dippet also came by to see her and tell her that her match with Callus could be moved to a later date but Tom told them instantly that Hermione would be more than up for it. He needed that match to go ahead and he needed for her to win. What better time to take on your most hated teacher when you are so full of anger towards your most hated student?

He was sitting by the fire when the last knock of the day came to his ears. He flicked his wand and told who ever it was to come in, not expecting to find who was there. Both Callus and Dumbledore stood together in the doorway, one with the same cold expression on his face as before and the other in a pink and purple polker dotted hat and a friendly smile. Tom couldn't help but roll his eyes. No wonder everyone thought he was gay.

"How can I help you Professors?" He said, putting on a polite smile.

"I am here to see how Miss Evans is doing," Dumbledore smiled, "And Professor Callus wishes to speak to you."

"Miss Evans is resting at the moment sir," he told him calmly, "She won't wake for another hour or so."

"Yes," he nodded gravely, "Matters of the heart can be most draining. However I have something for her that she must see."

Tom watched as Dumbledore pulled out two letters that were signed and sealed with a crest he did not recognise. His curiosity peaked quite quickly.

"Why don't you leave them with me sir?" He asked his most aggravating teacher, "I'll give them to her when she wakes up."

"I'm sorry Tom I can not do that," Dumbledore sighed, "I was told explicitly to leave them only in her hands. Is there any chance of her waking at all?"

Tom inwardly scowled but knew what had to be done. Chances were that Dumbledore had already read it. The sooner Hermione got the letters the sooner he would be able to read them without her knowledge. He put on a friendly smile as he gazed at his teachers once more.

"I'll go and see if she's ready for you sir," he said before he whisked away quickly up the stairs. He knocked lightly on her door but received no answer. He didn't expect one but it was always polite to knock anyway. He turned the handle slowly and walked in to find her sitting on her bed with a quill and many pieces of parchment in hand.

"What do you want?" She asked him mechanically as she wrote. She was still mad at him for doing what he did and she would be for a while. He was also aware of that too and so he didn't reprimand her for her tone.

"Dumbledore is here to see you," he told her, "He's going to come up here whether you like it or not so you had better ready yourself for him."

She sighed.

"I had a feeling I would see him soon enough," she whispered to herself before giving a wave of her hand and having the parchment and quill disappear into a drawer. Tom made a mental note to check that drawer when she was sleeping again. He gave her a curt nod before disappearing down stairs once more to let Dumbledore know that she was up for his visit.

He and Callus stood in the living room in silence for a few minutes before Callus finally broke it.

"You're wasting your time."

Tom looked over to him for the first time since he had come back. The older man's face was expressionless, blank, something that Tom knew all to well. His professor was hiding a silent desire behind his mask, a desire that would do well to stay hidden.

"She is nothing special," he continued, "Just an ordinary witless witch."

Tom stayed silent, choosing to show an identical mask in place of the frosty glare that was building within him. Callus looked over at him.

"She will be your undoing if you allow her too close," he said.

"How can she undo something that is not made?" Tom finally spoke, "It is only when you leave Hogwarts that you are truly made into what you were fated to be. I am not yet made. Neither is she."

"You hope to mould her?" He asked.

"I hope for nothing," he replied.

"You are meant for greater things than that-"

"Do not finish that sentence professor," Tom commanded coldly, his mask finally slipping, his façade revealed. Callus looked slightly surprised. He raised his eyebrows slightly as he spoke.

"Or what, Tom?" Callus asked, "You do not frighten me. You have nothing to hold over me…but I have something to hold over you."

Tom looked away from him, barely restraining himself, his fingers twitching towards his wand pocket with impatience.

"Tell me. What would your merry band of followers, your entire house and Miss Evans think if I were to tell them who your parents were?"

Tom's wand was drawn and at his throat in a moment, his face contorted into rage…

***

He entered with one of the kind smiles she remembered, a twinkle behind his blue eyes and a few pieces of parchment in his hand. She returned his smile as weakly as possible.

"I am so sorry Miss Evans," he said softly as he sat down on the end of her bed, "To lose someone we love, even temporarily…it is the greatest pain we could possibly bare."

She said nothing and simply nodded.

"I must confess however," He continued, "That I was not entirely ignorant of Mr Malone's plan to leave."

She looked up at him with a small note of surprise.

"Just before he and your uncle left," he told her, handing over the pieces of parchment, "Leopold came to me and requested that I give you one of these."

"One of them?" She asked as she stared at the parchment.

"The other arrived only an hour ago by owl," he explained.

She stared down at the letters with a furrowed brow and confused eyes. Who would write to her in this time? If Severus had given Dumbledore a letter before they had left then there was no way that they would send another so much later. She resigned herself to think of it when she was alone.

"Thank you Professor," she said as she placed the letters inside the same drawer as her parchment and quills.

"You do not wish to read it now?" He asked her.

"No," she told him, "I do not know if my heart could bare it."

_You mean you don't trust him not to look_, she thought to herself. She loved Dumbledore but she knew him too well. He would have already tried to look at the letters. If he had seen the one from the unknown sender then there was nothing she could do about it, however Severus knew Dumbledore just as well as she did. He would have done everything possible to keep it from the well meaning old man's eyes. She wouldn't ruin it by just letting him lean over her shoulder.

"I understand," Dumbledore sighed.

There was a small pause between them in which something became rather apparent to Hermione as they sat there in silence.

"You don't like the fact that Mr Riddle is the one looking out for me do you?" She asked him quietly.

"I do not like the fact that you have to be looked after at all Miss Evans," he told her softly, "However if you must be cared for, I would say that Mr Riddle would have been my last choice…at one stage he would have been _your_ last choice as well."

"I still don't trust him Professor," she assured him, "I never will trust him."

"Yet you let him sit in your living room unattended?" He asked her gravely.

"Because there is nothing to be gained from my living room," she told him, "I may be in some cruel stage of mourning but my wits have not died away just yet. Besides, as far as I can hear there are now _two_ snakes in my den and I would say that my newest arrival is far more dangerous to me at present than Mr Riddle."

"You fear Professor Callus wishes to harm you?" Dumbledore asked her with furrowed eyebrows.

"I am the only woman in his class that challenges him when he does not give us equal treatment to the men," she told him, "I am not afraid to call him out on his prejudice. He would do me in this very minute if he thought that he could get away with it."

"He more than likely could Miss Evans," Dumbledore told her with great gravity, "I have never known another so adept at secrecy and deception…except for maybe Mr Riddle."

Mr Riddle.

Deception.

Secrecy.

Severus.

Draco.

_"I told them something that wasn't entirely true…"_

So that's how he'd done it. She turned back to Dumbledore as though no realisation had occurred and pretended that her blood wasn't boiling even more.

"Ah but you see Professor," she smiled, "He can't get away with it."

"What makes you so certain?"

"Because I have the greatest wizard of the age sitting on my bed," she told him and he smiled, her face then turned concerned, "And possibly one of the darkest sleeping on my couch tonight."

"Mr Riddle…" Dumbledore said slowly, "Has…become fond of you?"

"He finds me too interesting to let go of at this stage," she told him, "So long as he finds me interesting and I keep my guard up around him I could not possibly be safer."

"You will of course forgive me if I see differently," he asked of her and she nodded.

"I do not expect you to see things my way Professor," she told him, "I don't expect anyone to."

***

"Do. Not. Say. That. Again."

Callus leered down at him and Tom sneered up at him.

"Why Tom?" He asked, "Are you afraid that someone might hear?"

Tom pressed his wand further into the man's throat and while he choked slightly, Callus did not falter.

"I will torture you into the next century if you utter those words again," he whispered coldly.

"You could not torture me," Callus sneered, "The cruciatus curse takes years to master. You are only a boy of seventeen. While you may be great, you are not _that_ great. You do not frighten me as you frighten the rest of this castle with your pretence and your charm. Like I see through that bitch upstairs, I see straight through you."

Tom replaced his wand with his other hand and pointed it in the direction of the kitchen counter.

"Avada Kedavra," he whispered. A jet of green light shot from the tip of his wand, killing the house elf that had just arrived. Callus looked at the tiny corpse in shock, unmoving, chilled.

"You will keep this information to yourself if you value your life Callus," Tom warned him, "Or otherwise I will make it not worth living and then I will take it from you."

Callus did not move or say anything.

"You will also leave Hermione Evans alone from now on," he whispered, "Which includes letting her win the duel tomorrow."

Callus's eyes widened.

"You don't seriously expect me to lose to that-"

"That is exactly what I expect you to do," Tom hissed, "I have come too far with her to have it all undone at the tip of your pathetic wand. Let her win or you _will_ lose."

They both heard a crack from the top of the stairs. Tom stepped away from Callus instantly and shoved the dead house elf inside a cupboard just after taking the box of chocolates it held in its cold, dead fingers. The two of them put on their best masks as both Dumbledore and Hermione walked down the stairs.

"Do feel better soon Miss Evans," Dumbledore told her as they reached the bottom of the stairs, "I would hate for your duel with Professor Callus to be rescheduled. It will be such a fine match. Don't you agree Professor?"

"Most certainly," Callus said without expression.

Hermione made a sideways glance to Tom who avoided her eyes at all costs as he guided both Professors out the door. She couldn't help but notice how he let out and angry, shuddering breath as he stood by the door. He looked at her for a few moments before making a decision. He walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her waist before she could protest and began nipping at her neck periodically.

"What did Dumbledore want?" He asked her softly. She was awfully stiff in his arms that afternoon, nothing like she had been before.

"Nothing much," she told him, not responding to him at all, "What did Callus want?"

He pulled back to look at her. Her eyes were hard as she stared at him.

"Nothing much," he told her, looking slightly confused. He didn't refuse her when she pulled away from him completely and sat down on one of the couches.

"He must have wanted something," she said to him, "He sure as hell wasn't here to give me flowers and a get well card."

"Dumbledore must have wanted something too," Tom countered, "He didn't have those pieces of parchment to get your autograph."

He walked over and sat next to her, still looking confused. She was not normally this questioning or distant. Even when she had tried to attack him that afternoon she had still let him hold her the way he normally would.

"Suffice it to say that he had a few concerns," she told him with a knowing smirk.

"I could say the same for Callus," he shot straight back.

"So he was here to warn you away from me, is that it?" She asked him lightly, "I'm not surprised. We couldn't possibly have the great Tom Riddle gallivanting around with some stupid woman now could we?"

He went to stroke her cheek and she stiffened once more but did not move away.

"You won't have to worry about him tomorrow," he told her softly, "I've taken care of it."

"If you think threatening him to leave me alone, at least that's what I'm assuming you did," she said to him with a note of bitterness, "If you think that's going to work then you are mistaken. You've seriously underestimated his hatred for me."

"He knows what I am capable of."

"No one knows what you're capable of except for me and even then it took me a while to find out," she told him.

He stared at her. She pulled out her wand and for a moment he thought that she was going to attempt to curse him but she instead flicked it in the opposite direction. All of the parchment that had been spread on her bed earlier appeared before them on the coffee table.

"Read these," she told him, "And then you get your first lesson."

"There's well over three thousand pages here," he told her.

"Read quickly," she said as she moved off of the couch and over to her bedroom door. She then turned back to him with the coldest expression she could muster.

"And if you ever tell someone that you intend to kill me again," she told him, "Do be a gentleman and follow through with it."


	18. The Morals of Ethics

**Hello Lovely Readers!**

**Here's the next bit. As usual, any questions, feel free to ask. Big thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter and I'm looking forward to seeing it again. A big welcome to all the new readers as well! So nice to see some new faces...or read about them anyway.  
**

**Thanks guys!**

* * *

Chapter Eighteen: The Morals of Ethics

She stood outside her Defence Against the Dark Arts class the next morning reciting every defensive spell she could think of over and over again inside her head. She was tired, she was angry but most importantly…she was alone. Tom had tried to accompany her to breakfast the next morning but she sped off without him. He tried to make conversation with her across the table but he was ignored. She figured he had eventually given up by the time she had run away to her first class of the morning.

She paced as she recited and remembered everything that she had been taught. She constantly felt for her daggers and for her wand as she went, just to make sure she had a back up if needed. She re-read the text books that had been given to her that year and came up with strategies to counter anything that Callus may come up with.

"Pouring over books like that isn't going to help."

She turned to see Abraxus moving towards her. She gave a sigh of relief when she saw it wasn't Tom.

"What makes you say that?" She asked.

"Theory can only go so far," he told her, "Callus understands that and you should too."

"What do you suggest I do to prepare then?" She asked him as he stopped in front of her.

"Nothing," he said simply.

"Nothing?"

"Nothing," he told her, "You can't possibly prepare yourself for what he will come up with. You'll need to get creative."

"You sound like you have a lot of experience in this area," she stated.

"I haven't taken on Callus before," Abraxus told her honestly, "But I've had a go at those that are like him. Cold, indifferent, prejudiced. With men like that you can guarantee that they won't show any mercy."

"I wasn't planning on asking for any," she told him as she began to pace again.

"I'm sorry about your fiancé," Abraxus suddenly said. She stopped pacing and turned to look at him.

"I know you loved him very much," he continued.

"He's not dead," Hermione told him, "He's just going back to the front."

"And how long do you think he will survive?" He asked her, "A month? Two? Maybe a year if he's lucky?"

Her face hardened as she stared at him.

"I don't mean any disrespect," he told her, holding up his hands in surrender, "But you must agree with me that it is a soldier's job to die for the master they serve. It won't be long before he sacrifices himself for the greater good."

Ha. Now where had she heard that before?

"A soldier's job is not to sacrifice themselves for the _greater good_," she corrected him coldly, "A soldier's job is to fight for his family and friends and way of life so that he can come home to a world he helped preserve. Soldiers may only be pawns in the games of wealthier and more powerful men but they are not to be sacrificed. They are to be used effectively and cared for so that those wealthier men may have something to play games with."

She began to pace again and continue reading.

"Draco isn't going to die," she said simply.

"You're certain about that?" Abraxus asked her.

"Very."

"And what about you?"

She stopped pacing again and looked up at him. There was something in his gaze that she hadn't seen before. A kind of…determination she supposed. She stared back at him with a kind of curiosity, wondering whether she really wanted to hear this or not.

"What do you mean?"

"Do you think you will survive this war?"

She thought about it for a moment. Should she be honest with him? Should she tell him what she was really thinking? She had found that being honest in this time plane had often been a mistake, that consequences often came with honesty here. With her impending duel, she wasn't really sure she was ready for consequences just yet. But none the less, her Gryffindor came out in her once more.

"My role in this war is more complicated than what Draco's ever was," she responded, "I'm meant to die."

He thought about her statement for several minutes. It was an odd statement after all. How could she possibly be meant to die when her role was supposedly complex? Death was such a simple thing. He decided that perhaps an odd statement in return would be best.

"Just because you are meant to do something doesn't mean you have to," he told her.

"Which is why I will fight tooth and nail for my life," she nodded.

"What if you didn't have to?"

She stared at him again. He stepped towards her with a careful expression in his eye.

"You know what I'm talking about," he said to her, "You remember what happened down at the village, the mark on my arm."

She continued to scrutinize him. He tentatively rolled up his sleeve to reveal the tattoo on his left forearm. He stared up at her as she stared down at it.

"If you had one of those marks," he told her, "You wouldn't have to fight for your life. You would have others helping to fight for it."

So he was going to pitch the brotherhood speech was he? She couldn't count the amount of Death Eater minds that had been fooled by that routine. It was very alluring. Come and join us, they would say, we'll look after you, you'll be family to us. Family was something everyone craved, particularly those who did not have one to begin with. But before she asked him about this, there was another question on her mind that seemed to trump all others..

"Did Riddle put you up to this?" She asked him, "Or did you decide to take the initiative."

"Initiative," he responded coolly, "I can see how useful you would be to our cause."

"What?" She asked, "Eradicating muggle borns? I'm sorry Abraxus but that just doesn't appeal to me the way it does to you."

"And why not?" He asked her.

"Because muggle borns are just as useful as purebloods, just as powerful and just as skilled if given the proper instruction," she told him, "I have nothing against them."

He scrutinized her for a few moments much in the same way she did to him.

"You should," he told her, "You remember Cygnus telling you about his sister? How she was attacked and he took the fall for her killing that student?"

"How could I forget," she rolled her eyes.

"The one who attacked his sister was muggle born," he told her, "You remember Eileen telling you about her father? About how he was addicted to Pixie Dust and Magic Mushrooms? His dealer is muggle born. Brindom, the teacher who tries to feel you up every three days and tries to look up Eileen's skirt every lesson is muggle born."

"You believe muggle borns are responsible for the decline of wizarding society?" She asked him.

"I do," he told her, "Were it not for them, Wulberga would still be at school, Eileen would have a safe home to go to during the summer and you wouldn't have to worry about what kind of underwear you were wearing every time you walked into Herbology."

"Really?" She asked.

"Really."

They stared at each other for a few minutes until Hermione decided that it was time for Abraxus to have everything put in perspective. If she could open at least one person's eyes before the end she would consider her job done.

"Abraxus," she said as she stood before him, "Gellert Grindlewald is a pureblood. He kills thousands of witches and wizards of all races, all colours, all blood types every single day so that he can achieve world domination. You can't blame muggle borns for his mistakes."

He stared at her as she continued.

"Callus is a pureblood," she told him, "And he's ready to kill me today for being different to what he's used to. You can't deny that he would get rid of me in a heartbeat if he could."

He stared down at the floor as she came to her last point.

"I found Eileen half naked and struggling against two purebloods in Hogsmeade when it was attacked," she told him and his head flicked up in shock, "They were going to do things to her that should never even be thought of and yet their blood was supposedly pure."

"How could you tell they were pureblood?" He asked her, "It's not like they would have just come out and said it."

She looked down to his left hand where the Malfoy crest rested on his middle finger and pulled it up between the two of them.

"Every pure blood male has one of these," she told him, "You and I both know that. I caught a glimpse of them as they came towards me."

He stared down at his ring with a furrowed brow.

"The fact of the matter is that it isn't just muggle borns who are declining in manors and general decency," she told him, "It's everyone. And eradicating muggle borns from the history books isn't going to change that."

He stared up at her again and she stared at him.

"The only way forward is tolerance," she told him quietly, "The sooner we all learn that, the better off we'll all be."

With that, she stepped away from him and picked up her books again, pacing as she studied. She noticed out of the corner of her eye how he seemed to stare into space and stayed silent. She could only hope that she had given him something to think about, that he may make the right choice after all. She knew it was too late to save him from the Death Eaters and Tom now, but maybe he could do the other side some good.

She continued to pace until the corridors filled with people and it became next to impossible to move. She noted that Tom had joined the crowd but was standing on the opposite end to where she was, talking to someone in hushed tones. With a jolt she realised that it was Callus. Tom appeared to be threatening him. God what she wouldn't give for some extendable ears.

Soon after the classroom opened and Merry-Thought ushered them all inside. Hermione took her seat next to Tom stiffly and stared up at the front, avoiding his gaze at all costs. She felt his fingers graze her knee occasionally as the duels commenced. At one stage she jumped when Professor Merry-Thought cast a severing charm at Billius Weasley and Tom grabbed her hand to stop her from falling off of her seat but she quickly retracted herself from him and sat firmly within her seat once more. Then came her turn.

"Next I would like to have Professor Callus and Miss Evans on the platform please," Merry-Thought smiled. Hermione took a deep breath and stood from her seat, Tom grabbing her hand briefly and then letting go as she left. She could see the eyes of her friends following her with concern and admiration both. Cygnus gave her a warm smile, Abraxus a nod and Eileen just bit her bottom lip. She felt just as anxious about this as her friend did. This was going to be one of the hardest duels she would ever had. Callus may only have been an Arithmancy teacher but it was clear from his posture, from the way he walked and talked that she had skill with a wand.

"Before we begin," Callus said to both Merry-Thought and Hermione as they stood on the platform, "I would like Miss Evans to surrender her extra weapons."

"Oh yes!" Merry-Thought said lightly, "We can't give you an unfair advantage now can we Miss Evans."

Hermione looked between the two of them silently. She could see Callus's smirk. She knew that this would give him some kind of pleasure, seeing her hand over her blades, seeing as she had so ardently refused to give them to him. With slight hesitation, she reached behind her and pulled out her daggers. Merry-Thought looked for her to hand them over but she smirked as she looked back at Callus. She had meant what she had said to him after the battle.

"Tom?" She called out, and he looked up, "Look after these for me will you?"

"Certainly," he nodded as she tossed them to him. At least with him she knew they wouldn't go missing. She then turned back to Callus.

"I would like you to surrender your extra weapons as well Professor," she said to him firmly, "If I may have nothing, neither should you."

The class held its breath waiting for a furious response. It seemed too much for the Professor as he openly glared at her. He extracted three potions and a vile of basilisk venom from his right ankle. He gave a glare to Hermione and seemed to send one out to the crowd but she knew that it was directed at Tom. Something in Callus seemed to change then. He stood up straighter, as though a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders as he glared down at her. It was a sign, that was for sure. A sign that said in big, bright, bold letters that all bets were off.

"No more," he whispered furiously so that only she could hear.

"Take your positions!" Merry-Thought instructed them and they did as they were told, "On the count of three. One. Two. Thr-"

"Expulso!"

Hermione dodged the explosion charm just in time. She ducked and threw her hands over her head as the stone wall behind her collapsed. She could hear an uproar from both teachers and students from beneath the rubble that suddenly silenced of its own accord. It was weird but she didn't care what had made them stop crying out for Callus to be hung. Her head was pounding, her mind was racing and her anger was beginning to rear its ugly head. She wouldn't take this anymore. She pushed her magic inside her and then outwards in a powerful explosion sending the rubble towards Callus. He put up a shield charm just in time but did not expect the stinging hex that came his way. He hissed as he got up from the floor, his left foot the size of…well a football. He limped forward with a murderous look in his eyes as she shot hex after hex after hex in her direction. She cast shields, she jumped and she ducked as many as she could, only coming into contact with three. Her left arm had been sliced open and her right eye was now bruised but regardless she fought on. She pointed her wand at the nearest pile of books.

"Oppugno!" she roared.

The books flew instantly towards Callus, nipping at him and hitting him over the head. Hermione decided that now was the time to get creative. She mustered every single happy memory she could think of. Harry and Ron, Severus and Draco, the Weasleys before the war, her parents, everything she could think of.

"Expecto patronum!" She screamed. A violent bright light burst forth in a shape that she did not intend. A bright, silvery, magnificent Norwegian Ridge-Back Dragon rushed Callus, knocking him from the platform entirely. A feral growl escaped his lips as he stood and snarled at her. He waved his wand in a familiar pattern and her eyes widened as an all too familiar purple light shot towards her. She put up a shield just in time but she still copped most of the curse. She let out a grunt of resistance as her limbs went numb and she fell to the ground. Why wasn't anyone stopping this? Didn't they know what kind of curse this was? As she looked around she noticed that none of them looked appalled by the spell as they should have been. She managed to keep her eyes open as Callus advanced on her limp form. Her muscles began to ache as he drew nearer to her. He stopped right before her and squatted so that she could see his face.

"I told you I would show you what real power was didn't I?" He whispered to her, "Did you ever think that you could beat me?"

She stayed silent.

"Oh you silly little witch," he spoke with false praise now, "You did didn't you? All that time you've been spending with Riddle must have gotten to your head. Then again your head has always been as big as that half breed hasn't it?"

Something happened then. A small twinge in her magic, a small snap in his. She just lay there and blinked at him as he went on.

"Oh, did you not know about his blood status?" He asked her, "He's half mudblood you see…"

Her little pinky began to twitch beneath her.

"Such a pity really," he continued, "He could have ruled the world if he didn't have such dirty blood…"

Another twinge. Another rope loosened. She could see her wand at her feet where he sat.

"Such potential," he said as he secretly stroked the material of her robes with his index finger, "And yet so stupid. I think it's about time he was exposed for what he really is, don't you?"

She felt all her magic return to her in an instant but she stayed completely still as his final words slipped from his lips.

"A filthy little mudblood."

She used all of her force and all of her magic and threw him away from her. He crashed off of the platform once more and into the opposite wall, his back making a sickening crunch as it made contact with the cold stone. A thickness that had hung about the air suddenly lifted and she saw shock return to the faces of those around her as she staggered upwards into a standing position and limped over to where Callus was lying unconscious. She coughed slightly as she knelt down before him and took his wand from his hand.

"Watch your language," she muttered as she stood again. She saw Brindom fade over into the shadows out of the corner of her eye and wondered distantly why he was slinking away so quickly. The class was silent as they took in her bloodied form. She limped back onto the platform and threw the wand at Merry-Thought's feet with an angry tired scowl. Just as she stepped off of the platform her legs gave way. If it weren't for the strong hands that silently caught her she would have fallen flat on her face and stayed there. She felt him pick her up and she didn't resist as he took her back to the back of the room. At that moment it didn't matter that he had threatened her friends or killed most of her friends and family or made her life a misery since the age of eleven. He was one of the only allies she had left in that castle. She would take all the help she could get.

"She needs to go to the hospital Tom," she heard Dumbledore say. Her heart seemed to stop at that notion. She didn't want the hospital. She wanted to crawl back into her bed and sleep it all off. Going to the nurse would be like admitting defeat even though she had won a clearly unfair fight.

"No I don't," she muttered, "I'm just exhausted."

"And bleeding out of every limb on your body," Eileen countered her, "Tom, please…"

"No," she said more firmly as she gripped his robes, "You can do it, can't you?"

She saw through half lidded eyes that he nodded to her and walked her out of the room. As he got her out of the classroom she seemed to regain a little more of her conscious mind. Being away from the scene of the crime, so to speak, must have helped. She turned her head in his direction.

"Why didn't anyone move?" She asked him quietly, "Why didn't they stop the fight when it first started? I heard you all scream."

"Brindom had been employed by Callus to keep everyone out of the way it seems," Tom replied to her quietly. She knew that quiet tone. He was absolutely furious.

"Don't kill him," she suddenly said. She felt him stop walking and stare down at her.

"Why?"

She thought for a moment. Why? Why did she want him to live? She didn't like him, there was no way in hell that she considered him a loved one or a friend. She didn't value his life, in fact she thought he deserved to die after his display that day. The soldier, the Slytherin inside her…they were screaming for his death and yet she kept them at bay. It was the Gryffindor that she had always been that stood behind her decision. She replied to Tom in a stronger voice than she thought she could muster.

"Because it's not right to kill him," she said as she coughed once more, "Let Dippet and Dumbledore deal with him."

"He was going to kill you," he said just as quietly as before, just as coldly, "If you hadn't pulled out of the spell he would have killed you."

"And he would have been thrown in prison for it," she coughed again, "You aren't supposed to go to prison."

"I wouldn't."

"I know," she sighed, "But that doesn't make it any better. If you kill him, do it because he has done you wrong…not me."

He continued to stare down at her as he walked. He didn't give her any indication of what he was going to do, he didn't give her any argument to his point. He just continued walking and staring all the way back to her rooms and fixed her up as much as possible. Her broken limbs were repaired, her bruises were healed and her cuts were sealed. Every wound had been deep and precise and so there was some slight scarring where some of the spells had hit here but that didn't matter. It would just be a few more battle wounds to join her collection. He laid down on the bed next to her afterwards and wrapped his arms around her. Once more she didn't resist. He would be the only one to look out for her in this castle now. She needed him more than ever.

"I'm proud of you," he whispered in her ear.

"And why's that?" She laughed.

"You weren't afraid to hurt him," he told her, "You showed him what real power was and didn't care that he could die with what you did to him."

She remained silent in his arms. He was right, but she wasn't sure whether it was something to be proud of or not.

"You have so much potential," he whispered as he stroked her hair, "So much power inside of you and today you showed me that you aren't afraid to use it when the time is right."

"So you won't kill him then?" She asked. He went stiff once more but loosened when he felt her mould herself to him. He continued to stroke her hair.

"If it is your wish I will leave him for another day," he told her, "But this will not go unpunished. He dared to disobey me-"

She leaned back to stare at him with a furrowed brow. He let out a frustrated breath, feeling that this wasn't going to get him anywhere.

"I told him to forfeit," he told her, "I ordered him to stay down after the first curse was thrown or I would throw a few of my own."

She stared at him for a few moments. He thought for sure that she would try to get up, yell at him for a few minutes and then try to hex him but he got quite a shock when she just 'tsked' and laid herself back down, resting her head on his chest.

"Trust you," she muttered. She sat up once more when there was a knock on her bedroom door.

"Miss Evans? May I come in? Are you decent?"

"Yes Professor," she smiled as she moved out of Tom's arms and told him to open the door. He gave her a glare but she just rolled her eyes. Dumbledore walked in and sat next to her much in the same way he had the night before. Tom returned to his position on the bed, attempting to get her back into his arms again but she refused. She stayed on her own pillow and so he settled for just sitting next to her and rubbing her shoulders at odd moments in time.

"I thought I would come and see how you've been healed," Dumbledore smiled to her, "You were in quite a mess when you left us."

"Tom has taken good care of me sir," she smiled back.

"Yes I can see that," he said as he brushed a finger over one of her scars on her arm, "I've also come to tell you the outcome of the disciplinary hearing that took place only hours ago."

"Has Professor Callus been fired?" She asked him. She was trying desperately to hide the hope in her voice and knew that she was failing miserably.

"No," Dumbledore said simply, "Professor Brindom has been dismissed in his place."

Hermione gaped at him and Tom went stock still once more.

"According to Professor Callus," Dumbledore continued, "Professor Brindom placed the imperius curse over him just before the duel commenced."

"Surely Dippet wouldn't have bought that!" Hermione said incredulously, "You know how much Callus hates me!"

"There's no way in hell Brindom is powerful enough to sustain an imperius curse for that amount of time," Tom said quietly as he glared at the deputy headmaster, "If anything Brindom was the victim, not the criminal. He was the one who cast the immobilization spell over us all when it began."

"I agree with you," Dumbledore said to them, bowing his head, "Unfortunately the Headmaster's decision is final. Professor Brindom is packing his bags as we speak and Professor Callus will be teaching again tomorrow morning."

Tom suddenly got off the bed and began to pace the room violently. Hermione could feel his magic beginning to take control as the conversation continued. She knew that she would be hard pressed to keep Callus from being murdered now.

"What do I do now?" Hermione asked Dumbledore, "Callus won't let this embarrassment go unpunished. He'll want revenge."

Dumbledore drew in a heavy breath and closed his eyes. Tom stopped pacing and stared at him. He was about to say something that he was sure to regret. But it was the only option now. He couldn't do it and no one else would volunteer.

"As your Transfiguration teacher," he said in a solemn voice, "It is my duty to inform you that you are failing."

She stared at him oddly. There was no way in hell that she was failing.

"Your technique is sloppy," he told her, "Your casting is shoddy and your pronunciation of spells is in dire need of work."

Tom began to stare at the Professor as though he had sprouted wings and was wearing a pink tutu. Hermione was impeccable in her pronunciation.

"Such a low standard of work must be rectified immediately," Dumbledore told her, "I therefore recommend after hour tutoring with Mr Riddle for the rest of the school year."

Tom couldn't help but smile and Hermione stared at the old man in astonishment.

"You are to move into the spare quarters of the Head Boy chambers tomorrow afternoon."


	19. Of What is Right, Wrong and Human

**Hello Lovely Readers!**

**Here's the next bit. As usual, any questions, feel free to ask. Just letting you know in advance that the next update will probably be a little late due to me having to deliver a seminar on Monday so I'm going to be putting a lot of effort into that.  
**

**Thanks guys!**

* * *

Chapter Nineteen: Of What is Right, Wrong and Human

As Hermione found out over the first few days of December, living with Tom Riddle was not as difficult as it sounded. After a few clashes over who got to use the bathroom first (Tom obviously winning) and where Hermione would sleep (Hermione winning by a mile when he suggested she sleep in his room and she almost hexed him) they soon got into a routine. They would wake up, Tom half an hour earlier to give her time to shower too. Then they would head down to breakfast together and go through the rest of the day side by side. In the evenings they would engage themselves in a game of chess or Hermione would have the girls over to catch up when Tom gathered his followers and went for a meeting. It was clear that he didn't know that she knew and so she endeavoured to keep it that way by going along with his explanation that they were going to play pool. Once they were free of company they would go to the Room of Requirement and resume teaching each other everything they knew about the dark arts. Tom had finished reading the entirety of _The Magic of the Shadow_ that Hermione had re-copied from memory and was excelling at what she taught him. Tom had moved on from having her maim rats. He had found that she could hurt animals easily enough and it was people that she struggled with. He put himself to work trying to get rid of that weakness. He also continued to touch her and hold her at times when he felt like she wouldn't make a scene or attempt to hurt him in any way and he would steal the occasional kiss every now and then but it was all in the privacy of his- _their_ dorm rooms. Something that Tom was obviously not too happy about. He had tried a few times in public when he thought that no one was looking but every time she would push him away, knowing full well that Eileen was keeping a close eye on the two of them. The last thing she needed was for Snape's mother to get on her case.

She sat on her bed only a week after she had moved in, finally finding some privacy to herself after a hectic few days. Callus had done nothing but look at her since their duel and it was starting to get on her nerves. On top of this, her homework load had been increased ten fold, Tom was doing his best to distract her, Eileen would not let up on her theory that she and Tom were secretly together and now Abraxus and Cygnus were looking at her funny every chance they got. Something was stirring inside the castle that she obviously knew nothing about and it was beginning to change all those around her. With a frustrated sigh she threw her head back on her pillow. When she heard the soft crunch of parchment beneath it she sat up once more and turned it over to see the letters she had received the day that Severus and Draco had left. She had completely forgotten about them until that moment. With everything that had been going on, reading letters had been the last thing on her mind.

As quickly as possible, she opened the first. It was just a single line of writing, something that would have seemed completely irrelevant to untrained eyes.

_The Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix may be found at Number Thirty Six, Spinner's End._

So that was where they had gone. She had wondered often through out the past few days whether they were staying at the Leaky Cauldron or the Three Broomsticks under false names or whether they had just stolen the tent out of her beaded bag and gone for a hike. It was nice to know that she could contact them when ever she got a spare moment. With that sorted she turned her attention to the second letter. This one was slightly longer than the first and it was from neither Severus or Draco.

_Dear Miss Evans_

_Although you may be frightened by this message I must implore you not to be. I do not mean for this to strike fear in your heart nor hinder whatever mission you may be on. I simply ask that you meet me at Florien Fortescue's Ice-cream shop at One o'clock on Sunday the 23rd of December to discuss your current predicament._

_I hope very much that this letter finds you well and that I may be able to help you in some way._

_Kind Regards_

_A Friend_

Her breathing became quite shallow as she read. It may not have been their intent but this person had just scared the living day lights out of her. It was more than obvious that they knew something, more than obvious that they intended to question her about it. Whether this person was really a friend remained to be seen. When there was a knock at her door Hermione hastily shoved the letter back behind her pillow and told her visitor to come in.

Tom emerged from behind the door and came to sit on her bed with her.

"Merry-Thought just posted the new list of opponents for the tournament," he told her.

"Who have we got?" She asked, trying to sound as interested as possible.

"It has been decided that Eileen will take on Professor Binns," he told her, "Cygnus shall have Professor Calleway, Abraxus and Professor Frost, I shall have Professor Dumbledore and you have been given Professor Merry-Thought."

She thought about it for a moment or two before lifting herself from the bed and walking over to her dresser drawers. She spoke to him as she rummaged through them.

"You're going to have some trouble," she said to him, "This is not your playing field."

"I will manage," he told her, "How do you think you will endeavour?"

"Merry-Thought is nothing next to Callus," she shrugged, "At least she'll play by the rules."

She finally found what she was looking for and turned back to him with a small potion's vial containing a bubbling golden liquid.

"You're going to need some help with your duel," she said to him as she went and sat next to him once more.

"Are you saying I can't take Dumbledore?" He asked coldly.

"No," she said simply, "I'm saying that you can't take Dumbledore without blowing the reputation you've worked so hard to build."

He looked down at the potion she held in her hands.

"Where did you get that?" He asked quietly.

"I always carry a batch with me," she told him, "Just in case."

"You didn't happen to use it when you were duelling with Callus did you?" He asked her.

"No," she said bluntly, "I don't cheat."

"If you don't cheat then why are you giving _me_ Felix Felicius?"

"Because you're going to cheat anyway and when you cheat your way it's rather…messy. If you must cheat be smart about it."

She placed the vial in his hands.

"That will be my last vial before I go home," she told him, "Use it wisely."

He gave her a curt nod and a kiss on the forehead in gratitude. It was as close to a thank you that she was ever going to get from him so she was not complaining.

"Have you decided who you're going to Slughorn's party with?" He asked her, "You had better make a decision soon. Some of the more…productive men in the castle are getting restless."

She had received many invitations to Slughorn's Christmas party since Draco had left. It seemed that half of the school's male population was out to pursue her. She was very lucky that she was in Slytherin….otherwise she would have the other half too.

"I've already told you that I'm not going," she said to him exasperatedly, "It's not appropriate for me to be out dancing while my fiancé is out there fighting in the war."

"We could always take care of that," Tom told her, "You've proven that you can act your way out of anything. If I had a letter delivered at breakfast saying that your fiancé had died at the front-"

"I've had enough public scenes to last me a life time thank you very much," she scowled at him, "At least four since I've been here and I can tell you now that I'm not very fond of them."

"Sometimes scenes are necessary to throw others off the trail of the troubles that lie behind closed doors," he told her softly, "Surely one more would not hurt?"

"No," she said firmly, "Besides, it's not like I actually want to go to the party anyway."

He sat for a moment and scrunched up his nose.

"Nor do I really," he said, "I've got everything I need out of that fool. There really is no point."

"Is that the only reason you ever attend parties?" She asked him with a smirk, "If it is, it's rather sad."

"Parties are a waste of time," he told her, "All they do is give people the excuse to get drunk and act like complete buffoons."

"Parties are about celebration," she countered, "About spending time together and…also getting drunk and acting like buffoons. They can be a lot of fun if you give them a chance."

"And just how many parties have you been to Miss Evans?" He asked her, "How many times have you acted like a buffoon?"

"I've been drunk many times and made a few mistakes but I wouldn't say that I've ever acted like a buffoon," she mused, "I'm one of the lucky ones who's still able to think while they're drunk…however impaired my thoughts may be."

He moved closer to her, his face only inches from hers with a smirk on his lips.

"Would you care to share a few of these mistakes with me?" He asked.

She leaned in just a little bit, placing a small peck on his lips before pulling back and answering simply…

"No."

She tried to move from the bed but he caught her wrist and flipped her onto her back and he moved over her, his hand moving slowly up her thigh.

"Why not?" He whispered. His hand was creeping ever higher. She had to fight not to close her eyes.

"Because it wouldn't be fair," she muttered. She had to marvel at how skilful he was when he supposedly had no experience what so ever.

"How so?" He asked, his fingers lightly playing with the waist band of her skirt.

"You don't have any drunken moments to share," she complained.

"So?"

She rolled her eyes and suppressed a moan when his hand came in contact with the skin on her back.

"_So_," she muttered, "Why should I let you laugh at me when I can't laugh at you?"

"You can't laugh at me anyway."

"Is that so?"

"You find the idea of me to serious," he whispered into her throat, "I could dress in one of Dumbledore's most flowery set of robes and you would still find me chilling," _Kiss_, "Domineering," _Kiss_, "And undeniably attractive."

When he pulled his face back to study her reaction she wasn't surprised to find a smirk on his lips.

"Someone's full of themselves tonight," she smirked back.

"I have a reason to be," he told her as he went back to her neck.

She finally gave into his attentions and closed her eyes, arching her back to his touch. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders when his lips finally met hers in a fierce kiss and all coherent thought ceased…until someone knocked on the door.

"Son of a banshee," Riddle muttered before straightening himself out, giving her one last kiss and then moving to answer the door. She quickly straightened herself out with a smirk on her face and went to follow him. She wasn't surprised to see Cygnus and Abraxus standing at the door way. She was surprised however, at their expressions. Abraxus was cold, surrounded in deathly anger. Cygnus looked as though he were about to explode.

"What's happened?" Hermione asked them instantly.

"You need to come with us to the hospital wing," Abraxus said, using all his self control not to yell, "Something's happened to Eileen and Druella."

Hermione didn't need telling twice. She was running before they could even tell her what was going on. All she could do was thank Merlin for the non-slip spells she had cast on her high heeled shoes. She reached the hospital in record time, slamming the doors open as she entered. She almost collapsed from the sight. Druella's arm was broken in three places, mangled pieces of it hanging out in the darkness. Her left eye was swollen and she was devoid of all colour in her cheeks. Eileen sat there on the bed opposite Druella, looking almost in perfect health…that was until Hermione moved closer. She had an angry red scar running the length of her face down to her chest. She didn't cry, she didn't stir, she just sat there looking at Druella, a blank stare lining her face as she watched Madam Gertrude tend to her best friend.

Hermione walked over to her and wrapped her arms around her before anything was said or done. Eileen faintly returned the hug, still staring at Druella. Hermione took a hold of her hand.

"They were cowards," she whispered angrily, "They came at us from the dark, the shadows of the fourth floor corridor. They pushed Druella down the stairs and she tumbled all the way to the second floor. One of them stepped on her arm after that. She was bleeding so much…"

"What did they do to you?" Hermione asked her softly.

"Shoved me against a wall like a common animal and branded me," she spat, pulling down her shirt to reveal the Gryffindor crest burned into her skin, "Then sliced me from head to chest."

Hermione breathed deeply to calm herself but she was seeing red. She didn't understand how anyone could be capable of such things…no, she _did_ understand. She had seen it on a daily basis back in her time. Death Eaters, torturing, raping, destroying lives…so this is where they had learned it all? From a pack of Gryffindors who thought they owned the world.

She could see Abraxus, Tom and Cygnus talking just outside the door. Cygnus was rapidly losing his patience with his lord and Abraxus was only just keeping himself together. They were just as outraged as she was. Hermione could see Tom coldly staring them both down. Apparently their anger had gotten the better of them and they had been disrespectful. Tom gave them one final word and then walked over to where Madam Gertrude was still working on Druella and offered to help. The Headmaster, Slughorn and Dumbledore soon arrived and tried to figure out what had happened. When they saw the marks on Eileen they each had their own separate reactions. Dippet gasped in shock, Slughorn kicked a medical cart in outrage and Dumbledore closed his eyes in sadness. Hermione could still see Abraxus and Cygnus talking outside. She knew that no matter what Tom said they were going to do something. That was something she had learned about Death Eaters over the years…they let their emotions run wild like any other human being.

She quietly detached herself from Eileen and began to make her way over to them when a hand caught her shoulder. He must have seen the look in her eyes because Dumbledore looked rather concerned when he pulled her aside. He moved her inside an empty private ward and stood between her and the door.

"What was done to Miss Rosier and Miss Prince was monstrous," he told her, "I know you must be outraged-"

"And I have every right to be," she hissed at him in anger, "They are my friends, some of the very few that I have here!"

"You must not let your heart rule your head," he said to her sternly, "Think of your training as a soldier."

"My training no longer applies here," she spat, "I spent months in the battle field protecting those I loved only to lose them because I didn't follow my own judgement. I listened to the ramblings of an old fool; I let myself believe that what my commanders were doing was right. I will _not_ be made a fool of again!"

"So what are you going to do Hermione?" He asked her, "How are you going to make this right?"

She froze for a moment but glared at him after she had recomposed herself.

"I have my ways," she whispered harshly.

"They will be punished for this-"

"How?!" She yelled, "Are you going to take away house points? Give detention? Have them scrub cauldrons for the rest of the year? They deserve to suffer just as their victims have!"

"And are _you_ going to be the one to make them?" He asked her softly. She froze once more.

"You are a woman of great strength," he told her, "A witch of great power. If you allow yourself to be corrupted in any way…I fear for the future of this world."

He had taken the words straight from her subconscious mind. She wasn't ignorant to the changes in her over the past months. Lessons with Tom, living with Tom, kissing Tom, letting him touch her in such intimate ways…he was finally starting to have an affect. She could feel her view of the world changing, her morals and beliefs distorting everyday into something she wasn't so sure that she liked. She had always known that this mission would be dangerous…but she had been wrong in thinking that she couldn't possibly be broken any more than what she was. Regardless of Dumbledore's correct assumptions and assessments, she was not going to sit by and let this injustice be done.

"Move out of my way," she said to him firmly, "_Sir_."

He stared at her for a few moments longer before sighing and roughly stepping aside. She moved out of the door swiftly, slamming it behind her in his face. All eyes followed her as she walked over to Abraxus and Cygnus who were still whispering hurriedly to one another. No doubt they had all heard her argument with the Professor. The two stopped whispering when she drew near and stared at her blazing eyes when she spoke.

"What ever you two are planning…I want in."

***

Hermione sat in the Slytherin common room the next night going over the plans in her head. Nothing had been done yet about the Gryffindors that had attacked her fellow Slytherins, not that she didn't expect it. She knew that Slughorn would be pressing for punishment but he just wasn't as tough as he needed to be to get what he wanted. The common room was completely abandoned and so she heard every little sound that went through it. She knew the moment that the portrait swung open that a certain someone had entered.

"You should go back to our dorm," she said to him quietly, flipping her wand between her finger tips.

"_You_ are the one who is going back," he told her as he moved to stand in front of her.

"You don't command me like you do your stooges," she told him dangerously, "I am not your servant."

"No," he said, "But you belong to me. I am not going to let-"

"I belong to no one," she hissed at him as she stood, her wand ready to strike him at any moment.

"You are naïve if you think that I do not own you," he whispered, walking towards her slowly until he was only inches from her, "I own your mind," he brushed his fingers along her temple, "Your body," he grabbed her hips roughly and pulled her to him, "And your soul," he kissed her fully. It took him only seconds to register that she wasn't responding. He pulled back to look at her. He suddenly felt her wand in his gut.

"Let go of me," she growled.

"No."

"Let go of me or you will pay for even touching me in the first place."

He only had to look into her eyes to know that she was serious and after teaching her all he knew about causing pain…he didn't particularly want to get in her way. Not tonight when she wasn't thinking logically. They turned their heads together when they heard the boys dormitory door open and saw Abraxus and Cygnus move out together, determined looks on their faces. They froze when they saw Tom.

"I forbade you from this," he said to them quietly.

"Master they need to be punished," Abraxus told him, "Look at what they- They have defiled your ancestor's name!"

"I will not allow you to ruin everything I have worked for," Tom threatened them, drawing his wand as he let go of Hermione.

"I won't let Druella's shame go unnoticed!" Cygnus roared, "They will pay!"

"Your haste has always been your weakness Cygnus," Tom told him, moving closer, "You lack patience. They will be punished once we have everything in place-"

"Do not take me for a fool Tom-"

"Do not interrupt your master…"

That was the last thing she heard as she snuck out of the Slytherin common room and made her way to the seventh floor. The others may have to follow their master but she meant what she said before. She belonged to no one. She moved quickly and stealthily through the halls, avoiding all prefects until she finally made it to the corridor she was after. She knew where the Gryffindor prefects went about their rounds and she knew in particular where the two prefects she was after were taking their usual midnight break. She moved around to where the Room of Requirement stood and asked it to produce the break room for the prefects of the seventh floor. She saw them there drinking over priced firewhisky and smoking what looked like Cuban cigars, their backs to her as she entered the room. She stood there for a few minutes, wondering how the hell their descendants could ever have been her best friends.

"Enjoying your break gentlemen?" She asked, finally alerting them to her presence. Charlus Potter and Bilius Weasley turned around in shock at first but smirked when they saw her.

"Alright there Evans?" Charlus asked her, the both of them drawing their wands.

She smirked.

"Just peachy."

She immobilised them both within seconds, taking their wands from their hands and snapping them in two as she walked over to them and sat them by the fireplace.

"I trust you know why I'm here?" She asked. They each glared at her with no explanation.

"May I ask why you did it?" She asked them, "Why did you attack Druella and Eileen?"

"They were out of bed after dark," Bilius answered snidely, "We're prefects, we're allowed to dish out punish-"

She had him by the throat, crushing his wind pipe.

"As a soldier I'm allowed to kill you," she said quietly, "But that doesn't mean that I should."

She released him when he started to turn blue and began to walk around them.

"Why did you _really_ do it?" She asked.

"Because they deserved it!" Charlus yelled, "Bloody Slytherin bitches thinking they own the place. Think they're better than us…Not normal…Freaks!"

Hermione walked over to the front of the fire where the room had provided her with what she needed. She bent down and put the poker in the fire, sticking the end with the Slytherin emblem right inside the flames.

"And what?" She asked as she messed around with it, "Gives you the right to make that judgement?"

"Stupid bitch had it coming," Weasley told her, "Parading herself in front of our table…common whore."

She had to use all her self restraint not to strangle him again as she came around to face them, the poker in her hands, the emblem red hot and sizzling. She held it up before them and marvelled at the fear in their eyes. They almost trembled with the realisation of what she was going to do to them.

"N-no," Weasley's eyes widened, "We're sorry! We won't do it again!"

"You're right about one thing," she whispered, "You won't do it again."

"Please," Potter pleaded, "Please Evans! We'll do what ever it takes!"

She was inches away from his skin, her hard blazed look unfaltering as she drew nearer. A creature of unimaginable strength and will was beginning to take over. It screamed for their blood, for their pain. It wanted to tear them apart piece by piece and burn the remains. She stepped closer to them again and tears of fear began to escape Weasley's eyes.

"Please," he sobbed, "Please."

It was pathetic. It was ugly and it was pathetic and it needed to stop.

"Stop crying," she said coldly.

He continued.

"Please Evans," he sobbed, "I'm sorry Evans."

She had to shake her head to stop her vision from clouding. Something was happening. He seemed to be changing, his arms lengthening, his eyes changing to a sky blue, his hair becoming just a tad brighter. His freckles increased, his shoulders broadened until…

"Ron," she whispered, staggering back from them both as Charlus seemed to morph into Harry much in the same way. She dropped the poker just as her body collided with another and she rested herself in their arms.

"What am I doing?" She whispered in disgust with herself.

"You're doing what's right."

She looked up to the one that was holding her to see Abraxus with a stone cold look in his eyes. She stood up properly and turned to face him.

"No," she whispered, "I'm being a hypocrite."

"You are taking revenge," he said, "It's only human."

"Maybe if _you_ take revenge this way it's only human," she said, "But if _I_ do it it's wrong."

He stared at her for a few moments before bending down and picking up the poker.

"Then let us be human," he said.

She stared from him to the poker and back again.

"If you won't do it then I will," he told her.

"He'll punish you severely," she whispered, "You won't last the night."

"Eileen didn't deserve what she got," he whispered back. Something shifted in his eyes that she had never seen before. She almost gasped with the realisation.

"You love her," she whispered, "How long?"

"Too long," he answered curtly, "If you do not wish to see this then leave."

She looked over to her captives once more, the two of them staring at her in shock and disbelief. She took a deep breath and gave Abraxus a kiss on the cheek.

"Do it quickly," she whispered in his ear, "Before Tom gets here and stops you."

She then ran out the door. Abraxus turned back to the other two with the poker in hand. He walked swiftly over to them with a steely gaze and glared them down. They each stared up defiantly at him, quite different to what they had been with Hermione.

"I meant what I said Potter," Abraxus said through clenched teeth as he leaned down and removed Hermione's immobilisation spell, "If those scars aren't reversible-"

"Keep your skirt on Malfoy," Charlus told him as he got up and stretched, "We did exactly as you told us to. Now where's our gold?"

Abraxus threw a sack of galleons at their feet just as the door opened a third time to admit a very calm looking Tom.

"She didn't do it?" He asked.

"No master," Abraxus told him, "She came very close but she couldn't in the end."

Tom glared at the two Gryffindors for a few moments before issuing orders to them.

"Get back to your common room and stay there until I come to retrieve you," he said, "We shall apply your wounds then."

They didn't need telling twice. They ran out the door, each counting the galleons that they had received leaving Abraxus and Tom inside the Room of Requirement. Tom took a seat in one of the arm chairs that the Gryffindors had been occupying.

"I had hoped that she would get past this fear of harm before Christmas," he said, "She needs to come over to my side if I'm going to conquer this pathetic land quickly."

"Surely you would be able to do it by yourself Master," Abraxus said as he sat next to him in the other chair.

"Of course I could," he said to him, "It'll just be all the sweeter if she's by my side. I've never seen a witch like her before Abraxus. Beautiful…deadly. She may not know it but she _is_ mine and she won't escape me now."

"When do you plan on giving her the mark?"

"As soon as she is amenable to it," he told him, "I would not force it on her. It would drive her away. The thing about witches such as Hermione is that their freewill is stronger than anyone else's…and so is their loyalty. Once she is on my side she will not be leaving…it's just getting her there that's the problem. But I am well on my way to having her."

"Do you think she trusts you Master?"

"Not quite yet but she does care for me," he took out the bottle that she had given him the day before, "She gave me this just before you arrived to tell us about Eileen and Druella."

"That reminds me," Abraxus sat up straight again, "Do you plan on telling Cygnus that it was all a ruse? That Eileen and Druella were in on it too?"

"No," Tom answered, "That would be like telling Hermione that her best friend has been spying for me all along to let me know how she has been progressing. Completely disastrous. No matter how pestilent he gets I forbid you from telling him as well."

"Of course Master."

"I must say though," Tom said to him, "Using your friendship with Eileen to get her to do this was a nice touch. Hermione wouldn't have been nearly as angry if it was just Druella. When do you plan on asking to court her?"

"I don't master," Abraxus said with a heavy heart, "I am already betrothed to another. My father confirmed the match just last month."

"Shame," Tom said, "She would have made a pretty Malfoy."

He stood from his chair and walked over to the door, Abraxus doing the same.

"I'll meet you in the common room in the morning to make it look like you've done me wrong," Tom told him and Abraxus nodded, "It seems we're going to have to find a stronger trigger for her to progress further into the dark arts."

"Everyone has one Master," Abraxus bowed, "If anyone can find hers, it's you."

Tom suddenly gave a sigh and Abraxus looked up.

"Master? What is wrong?"

"Nothing Abraxus," he said, "It's just that now I have to go home and pretend to be mad at her…I was hoping to further our relationship tonight as well."


	20. The Art of Possession

Chapter Twenty: The Art of Possession

Over the next few days Tom treated her with complete silence. He didn't curse her when he entered the common room as she expected him to, he didn't tell her off. He just walked straight past her into his room and did not emerge until the next morning. It went like that for about a week. The morning after her little escapade she had to pick Abraxus up off the floor after every lesson, showing that Tom had obviously blown all his violent anger out on him and that she was getting the cold shoulder. She also saw that Abraxus had kept his promise to her too. Across the Gryffindor table, Potter and Weasley sat together with the Slytherin emblem and several burns embedded into their skin. She may not have been able to do it but she was glad that someone had. Surprisingly neither she nor Abraxus or Cygnus had been called out on the crime. She had been half expecting Dumbledore to come up to her room the next morning and tell her that she had been expelled but as it had with the Gryffindors…nothing happened.

After about a week of waiting and a week of silent treatment, Hermione had had enough. One evening after dinner she walked straight over to Tom and pushed him onto a chair.

"When are you going curse me?" She asked him heatedly.

He simply glared up at her.

"What do you think you are doing?" He asked her, his voice soft, his glare hard.

"I'm tried of waiting," she sneered, "Either curse me now or let things go back to the way they were!"

He slowly stood from the chair and towered over her with a firm glare. She didn't waver. He gripped her firmly by her wrists and shoved her back into the nearest wall, eliciting a grunt of pain from her lips but her gaze didn't move from his. His grip tightened to bruising point on her wrists as he spoke.

"You will not touch me in that manner again," he commanded coldly, "I hit _you,_ not the other way around."

"And what gives you that right?" She spat at him, struggling against his grip, "If you have the right to hurt me, then why can I not hurt you in turn?"

"Because I am your superior," he stated, "You are the subordinate."

"So we're back that then are we?" She asked with a bitter laugh, "Funny, you had almost fooled me into thinking you had a brain."

His hand struck her faster than she had ever seen, the blow stronger than anything she had ever felt and she had been hit by many. The force would have been enough to knock her to the ground had he not kept her steady by her other wrist.

"I am your superior," he repeated, "And you will treat me as such."

As she glared into his eyes a realisation suddenly came over her. Her breathing came hard and fast as she tried to shake her head in denial. It simply wasn't possible! How could she not have seen it sooner? It had been right in front of her from the very beginning, right _there_ the whole time…and she had been too stubborn, too unwilling to see it. Because she didn't want to. People see what they wish to see. She didn't want to see a thing. Not now, not ever and now that she had, she couldn't ignore it. He began to look at her strangely and didn't expect her knee to hit him in the gut. He doubled over in pain and glared up at her as she backed away from him, tears beginning to coat her eyes.

"No," she said in an angry sob, "No you're not."

He looked up at her through his pain as she stood there with tears streaming down her face.

"You are the one thing," she said slowly, trying to control herself, "That I told myself you would never be."

"And what's that?" He hissed at her.

"My equal," she whispered, "You're as stubborn as me, as smart as me, perhaps magically more capable but that's only because you use magic that I've never dreamed of until now. We both brew perfect potions, though mine are quicker, we are constantly at odds with one another with differences of opinions because we're both head strong and defiant right until the end. You are everything I am and yet everything I never want to be all rolled into one."

He seemed to soften at the realisation of what she was saying, what she was confessing. She had been fighting him from the beginning, even when he finally brought his lips to hers she had been running from him. At first he had wanted her to fear him like everyone else in the castle but once he saw her use he wanted her devotion, her passion. Then he saw who she really was and who she could be. It had taken him less time to see it than what she had but unlike Hermione he would never confess it. She was his equal…or at least she would be once he was finished with her.

He stood from the floor and walked over to her but she just backed away again. She was becoming angry, more with herself than anything else but that didn't stop her from taking it out on him.

"Not Ron," she seemed to half yell at herself, "Not Harry, or Draco or Severus or anyone else half way decent. You! Why did it have to be you?"

"Because you're stubborn," he said quietly, "You're stubborn and you're pigheaded and you're ignorant of your own potential. So irritatingly innocent and yet filled with such a seductive darkness that you don't even recognise yourself! So much power, so much beauty-"

He reached out to touch her cheek but she slapped his hand away.

"You can't be," she said as she kept backing away, "There must be someone else. I'm not meant for you."

"You are mine, Hermione," he told her firmly, "You can not deny it any longer. You belong with me."

"No," she muttered, shaking her head again, "You kill people, you torture them-"

"I'm not going to change," he told her firmly, "I'm going to continue to kill and torture and do what I need to do in order to get what I want. That doesn't change the fact that you belong with me."

"That's not me," she told him, shaking her head, still retreating, "I'm not evil, I don't want to hurt people."

"There is no such thing as good or evil, Hermione," he told her, reaching for her again but being swatted away, "Only power and how we use it."

"You don't use power," she yelled at him, "You abuse it!"

"I'm more liberal with it," he told her calmly, "You could be too."

She shook her head, suddenly finding that she had nowhere else to run.

"I've spent my life fighting you," she told him without thinking, "I've spent my life defending my friends and family from you and your selfishness and your tyranny and your screwed up ideas-"

"And you've never tried to embrace them," he told her, ignoring what he thought was an emotional mistake, "You've never tried to release your own potential, never let your primal nature take hold. So calculated, so cunning, yet so close minded and cold to anything different when you yourself are an anomaly. Tell me, why do you shun the dark?"

"Because it's wrong," she said flatly.

Her back was against the wall again, only this time he was not holding her there for what he viewed as punishment. He saw reward. Reward for finally admitting that she belonged with him. He came as close to her as he could without touching her, his breath tickling her chin. Her tears suddenly ceased as she gazed up at him and though she was afraid she knew that there was no turning back from this. She would hate herself in the morning but it was what had to be done-no, what she wanted.

"No Hermione," he whispered, his hand finally making contact with the skin of her cheek, "It's different. You don't understand it, therefore you fear it, push it aside. How many children in your youth pushed you aside because you made strange things happen?"

She stiffened at his words. How had he known that? It was impossible! She had never told him a word of her childhood! She had been so careful of that. They never spoke of their pasts during their nightly chess match or during their private lessons. They never once broached the subject of childhood! She realised that he was waiting for her to answer and her lip trembled slightly in fear.

"Too many," she whispered.

"Too many," he repeated as he stepped even closer to her, their bodies meeting as he took a hold of her waist and her hands naturally rested on his shoulders. She gazed up at him and she knew there was no turning back now. Her blood raced through her veins at the look in his eyes, predatory, clouded with lust. She wasn't going to get out of this unscathed. It didn't matter that it was what she wanted. She knew she was going to regret it all in the morning.

"Aren't you tired of fighting Hermione?" He asked her, "You've been fighting all your life."

"I've been fighting for-"

"Others," he finished for her, "There's nothing wrong with doing something for yourself."

"There's something wrong about _this_," she whispered back. One of his hands came up to stroke her cheek softly as he stared at her. No, not at her. _Through _her. Right down to her very soul.

"Let go," he whispered. Whatever internal battle she had been fighting was clearly over when she closed her eyes and leaned into his touch. He allowed a ghost of a smile to grace his features.

"Of all the people on this earth," she whispered to him with more venom than he had ever heard her speak with, "I hate you the most."

He paused for a moment but his smile only grew. It wasn't a warning, it wasn't a promise and it wasn't a fight that she had offered. It was just a confession.

"We can live with that."

His lips finally met hers in a passionate, sultry kiss and for once in her life, Hermione Granger stopped thinking. She turned off her brain, switched on her sense and just did what felt right. She didn't stop him from carrying her to his room. She didn't tell him no when he laid her on his bed. She didn't deny it when he had her naked in his arms and whispered "mine" in her ear.

The last few days of term went by in a blur for Tom. After their first night together Hermione never left his side. Yes, she was still opinionated and stubborn and refused to back down in lessons where she would benefit to stay quiet (Ancient Runes very much included in that list) but she was attached to him at the hip. She never pulled away from him when he led her by the hand to their next class, she didn't protest when he made her sit with him at lunch and she never complained when he placed his hand on her knee under the lunch table…or the classroom desk…or the study table. The rest of the school had noticed the change in their relationship also and while some of them asked what happened to her fiancé others simply accepted it. To his pleasure she was not really hassled about it and if she was, his followers and the other Slytherin girls told them where to go.

Hermione had also become much more amenable to suggestions during their private lessons. She had moved on from slicing rats, to carving up kittens and soon after that she was trying to cast cruciatus on him as he changed his appearance to that of Callus or Brindom who he knew she hated. She still found it next to impossible to hurt a human being while she was calm but it was progress none the less.

Now it was Christmas eve and they sat beneath a great willow tree by the lake, Hermione with her books out as she went over the text for the pop quiz she was convinced that Slughorn was going to throw at them tomorrow morning and Tom lazing against the hollow of the tree, watching her as her eyes moved back and forth quickly over the pages. He couldn't help but roll his eyes at the witch.

"For the smartest witch of the age you have to be one of the densest human beings I've ever met," he told her. She rolled her eyes as well. It had to have been the fiftieth time he had interrupted her and he knew how much she hated it when he stopped her from studying.

"And why's that?" She glared.

"You know that book back to front," he said to her, "And possibly sideways if you count the notes you've put in the margin."

"And your point is?" She asked as she kept skimming over the page she was on, deeming what he was saying as unimportant. He smirked and scooted closer to her before snatching the book from her hands and almost laughing at the reaction she had to his current closeness.

"My point," he said huskily, "Is that you are made for far more important things than naming the twelve uses of dragon's blood."

He loved hearing the little sigh that escaped her lips when he claimed them. She pulled back and smirked slightly as she spoke.

"Well unfortunately I can't show you my full potential until tonight," she said seductively, reaching her hands around him, "So until that time, can I have my book back please?"

He looked at her for a moment and then looked at the book. Before she could say anything at all he threw it into the lake.

"No."

For a few moments her face wore an expression of shock. It was as though she couldn't believe that he just threw her book into the lake. Then she looked confused. It was then that he realised that she wasn't even looking at him. He turned to see where her gaze had lingered and found himself with very much the same expression on his face. Draco stood there looking at them in shock, his mouth half open, his eyes completely disbelieving of everything he had just witnessed. For once, Hermione saw it before he did. Draco drew his wand and fired at the both of them as Hermione pushed him to the ground and dodged out of the way herself.

"Draco stop!" She screamed at him but he wouldn't. He fired another curse at Tom but this time he was ready for it. He blocked it quickly and sent one of his own, hitting the man squarely in the chest. But it didn't stop him. He dodged the next one that Tom sent and then threw another at Hermione. It seemed to Tom that she did the first thing that came to mind and blocked it, conjuring her Patronus straight afterwards which wrapped quickly around Draco and restrained him. The Ridge-Back Dragon held onto him tightly as he gazed up at it in awe before turning back to her, shock taking over his features once more.

"How could you?" He asked simply.

"Quite easily," Tom smirked at him before venturing over to Hermione who was leaning on the willow tree. He expected her to push him away when he attempted to check her over for wounds but she stayed there and let him do what he wanted. He then allowed her to walk over to Draco and look at him with honest eyes.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly, "I didn't want you to find out like this."

He glared at her coldly.

"Too late then isn't it," he said to her, turning his face away. Tom saw her bite her bottom lip for a moment and then make a decision. To his surprise she released Draco from her dragon and began directing him into the Forbidden Forest.

"Come on," she said quietly, "We need to talk."

He sneered at her this time and then fixed Tom with another icy glare. Tom simply smiled and waved goodbye.

"You remember the clearing I showed you last time?" She asked Draco, who then nodded, "Go to it. I'll be there in a few moments."

He glared at the two of them one last time before he made his way inside. Hermione then turned back to Tom and walked over to him.

"I'm sorry about him," she said, "I never had the chance to tell him…about us."

"I will forgive you this time," he told her quietly, "But only once and with conditions."

She rolled her eyes at him.

"Only you would have conditions," she muttered.

"You will answer my questions later," he instructed her, "And if he tries to attack you again you will kill him."

She stared at him for a few moments and tried to process what he had just asked of her.

"The only reason he even tried was because he was in shock," she consoled him, "He won't do it again."

"If he does, you will kill him," he reiterated.

"There's no need-"

"Do not question me Hermione," he told her, using a certain command in his voice that he only ever reserved for her, "You will do it. Do you understand?"

She opened and closed her mouth like a fish out of water but said nothing. For the first time he had known her, Tom Riddle had rendered Hermione Evans speechless.

"I mean it Hermione," he said to her, "Either you do it, or I will hunt him down and do it myself and you know that I will make him suffer. Now do you understand?"

She gave a sigh and bowed her head.

"Yes Tom," she whispered. He placed two fingers beneath her chin and brought her up to face him once more.

"Good girl," he uttered before placing a kiss on her lips, "Now go and speak to him."

She gave him a small smile before she then vanished behind a veil of trees. Oh yes, she was definitely his.

She and Draco emerged from the forest almost an hour later and Hermione walked Draco to the gates. There was tense atmosphere between them that hadn't been there since the days that she had believed him to be a Death Eater in the making and it was something she definitely wasn't proud of. As they reached the great winged boars she turned to him and ripped the ring from her neck, and placed it in his hand.

"Tell Severus I'm sorry," she whispered to him.

"This is going to kill him," Draco sneered back, "He really thought you could do this-"

"Well I can't," she cut him off, "This is the only way."

He glared at her for the umpteenth time that day and then turned his back on her as he opened the gates and stepped outside.

"See you round Granger," he said as he shut the gates once more.

"Don't come back Draco," she said to him firmly, "Not like this. You'll do yourself more harm than good. Trust me."

He simply turned his back from her and aparated away. When Hermione returned to the castle and to the Head Boy chambers she was not surprised to see Tom waiting for her on the couch.

"Do I need to kill him or did you save me the annoyance?" He asked her casually.

"Neither," she told him calmly as she sat next to him, "He didn't try to hurt me."

He frowned slightly at this. He had been silently hoping that Draco would give her a reason to hurt him, help her get over that silly fear of hers…apparently he was smarter than he looked.

"So what happened?" He asked her.

"We went into the clearing," she said calmly, "I explained to him that I didn't need him anymore and that he and Leopold should stay away from now on."

"I can imagine that it didn't go down well," Tom remarked.

"No but he managed to restrain himself," she told him, "He won't be coming back anytime soon."

Tom nodded, satisfied with what she had told him. He wouldn't look for a full recount of the story from her; he knew he would never get it. That was one thing that she would never do for him, no matter how much of her belonged with him now. It just wasn't in her nature to give him or anyone the full story for that matter. He felt her shift slightly and he slid his arm around her shoulders, pulling her to him as she rested her head on his chest.

"I thought I would get the chance to tell him soon," she admitted, "I never wanted him to find out like that."

"Why should it matter?" He asked her, "He is not in love with you, he does not desire you and you do not desire him. Why should he care so much?"

"Draco has always been a good judge of character," she told him, "He never liked you, not once. He thinks you're a bad influence on me…and he's right."

Tom looked down at her, his brow creased as he saw the expression of conflict on his little witch's face.

"Hermione?" He asked her softly.

"Yes?" She asked back as she looked up at him.

"Why are you here?" He asked her. She looked away from him for a few moments and then contented herself to stare into the fireplace before them.

"I'm not sure," she answered. It had been the first time he had out right asked her of her purpose at Hogwarts and now she couldn't give him a straight answer. But he was smart. He wouldn't push her until he had all the guarantees in the world that she wasn't going to leave him. He instead settled for a less significant question.

"He looked stunned when your patronus came forth," he told her, "Why is that?"

"It's not how it usually is," she told him with a sigh, "Ever since I came here it's been different."

"The Dragon is not supposed to be there?" He asked her in confusion and she nodded, "What are you meant to have?"

"An otter."

"An otter?" He asked in disgust. She looked up at him with a scowl.

"I happen to like otters," she glared at him.

"They are most unbecoming of you," he told her, his nose wrinkled, "The dragon is much more your style."

"I wonder why it changed though," she added in an effort to avoid a debate, "I haven't had any emotional upheavals…well, not since I left anyway and it was still the same when I was at home."

"It is unimportant," he said with a sigh, "Come. I think it would be most disrespectful if we decided to turn up to Slughorn's Christmas party late, especially when he's gone and dedicated to us coming out as a couple."

"Tom," she said as she leaned back to look at him, "I don't have anything to wear."

"I've already taken care of it," he told her, "Your dress is sitting on the bed. I had Malfoy take care of it with a bit of help from Eileen."

She scowled at him slightly and went into what he had dubbed as 'their room' lately. He was not at all surprised when she came out with a dumbfounded expression on her face and the dress in her arms. Dark green, almost black satin with off-shoulder sleeves and a corset backing on the tight fitting bodice and even tighter fitting skirt was definitely not her regular style. On top of all this they had gone and gotten her a pair of matching shoes and a silver cloak to keep her warm.

"It's too much," she said simply.

"You deserve the best," he said back.

"The best is too much," she retorted.

He rolled his eyes at her and started pushing her back inside their rooms.

"You are with the best," he told her, "Therefore you will have the best and you will not complain about it. Now get dressed, or I will do it for you and you know that if I do it will be painful and will more than likely take twice as long."

Hermione shivered slightly at the promise, whether from the idea of pain or pleasure Tom couldn't tell, but he didn't wait for a response. He pushed her inside the room, shut the door and then summoned his own robes. He wanted to see her when she had the dress on and not before. There was no doubt in his mind that she would be absolutely delicious. Abraxus for one had really good taste and Eileen would be there at any minute to help her with her hair and make-up. Not that she needed much help at all. No, he didn't want to see his queen until she was completely done. At that moment there was a sharp wrap on the door. He went over and let Eileen in.

"Evening Tom," she said politely.

"She's already in the bedroom," he told her.

"Right then," she said as she walked past but before she could enter Tom stopped her.

"I want to know if she mentions anything about Draco Malone," he told her, "Anything at all, do you hear me?"

"Yes Tom," she said quietly, "I wish you would let me stop doing this. I hate spying on her."

"You owe me a life debt Prince," he reminded her, "I want to know everything."

Eileen bowed her head.

"Yes Tom," she said before she put on another smile and then moved inside the bedroom.


	21. Good Girl Gone Bad Part 1

**Hello Lovely Readers!**

**Right, here's the next bit. Please do keep in mind that this story is multi-dimensional and has more than one P.O.V in this chapter...even if Hermione's is right at the end. Anywho, so long as you keep that in mind you guys should be fine.**

**Happy Reading! R&R would be appreciative.  
**

* * *

Chapter Twenty One: Good Girl Gone Bad Part 1

Eileen had made many mistakes through out her lifetime, something that the Slytherin inside her was very reluctant to let her admit. But it was the truth. Selling her father's drugs to first years had been one of her biggest. She would never forget the guilt she had felt when Jimmy Stubbs had a seizure and had to be taken to St Mungo's immediately. It had been terrible.

She also regretted not making her feelings known to Abraxus. Now he was betrothed to another and there was nothing she could do about it.

And then of course there was that mishap in Care Of Magical Creatures class in third year. She was definitely starting to regret that one because it had now led to her greatest mistake of all.

She hated having to spy on Hermione for her lover's benefit. She hated pushing them together. She hated everything about this cruel situation that she had been forced into and she wanted nothing more than to make it stop. But she couldn't. Not only did she have a life debt to pay but Tom would kill her if she told Hermione the truth. She couldn't die now. Not when her little sister was still waiting for her to return at the end of the school year. Not when her mother was taking the brunt of her father's abuse so that she could stay at Hogwarts and graduate. No, she would do what she had to.

She walked inside the girl's rooms with a heavy mind and heart and instructed her to get dressed quickly. Hermione did so and Eileen couldn't help but stare at the poor girl. She was the epitome of beauty and grace in that dress she had helped pick out. She had always known that she would be beautiful but now she was breathtaking. And she hadn't even applied and makeup yet.

"Are you going tonight?" Hermione asked her.

Eileen nodded.

"Abraxus said he would take me," she told her.

"Have you got anything to wear?" She asked, looking confused at her lack of attire.

"I'll be getting ready later," she dismissed her, "Now sit down so I can get to work will you?"

Hermione gave her another smile. Eileen could tell that this wasn't normally her kind of thing. Being a soldier hardly left time to apply makeup or charm your hair into a perfect up do. She decided that the girl didn't need anything in the way of foundation. Her skin was flawless as it was and she could blush on cue as far as she knew. She applied some dark red lipstick to her full lips and then set to work creating a smoky dark look over her honey eyes. It brought out the colour just nicely in Eileen's opinion, really showed off her expression. But there was something missing. She stepped back for the girl before her and sighed when she finally figured out what it was.

"Have you ever changed your hair colour before?" She asked.

Hermione blinked at her.

"I've never had any reason to," she responded, looking a little put out at the idea.

"If you do it magically its completely reversible," Eileen informed her, "I just want to try something."

Hermione looked sceptical but none the less gave her friend the go ahead. Eileen pulled out her wand and muttered a few charms. Instantly her hair untangled itself from the tight reserved bun that she had placed it in and began to darken from root to tip. Like a giant wave, her hair was suddenly coated in the darkest black she had ever seen. But it didn't stop there. Instead of remaining straight the way that she had charmed it that morning, it now twisted itself into knots and then unravelled, leaving it in medusa style curls resting on her shoulders. Hermione then stood and looked at herself in the full length mirror by the wardrobe. Eileen couldn't help but shiver at the sight of what she had created. With the combination of knowing what the witch was capable of and aura of power that constantly surrounded her these days, it was hard not to get chills at the sight of this beautiful woman at her best. It was right then and there that Eileen knew this girl to be Tom's queen. The only one that could stand to be in his presence longer than a few seconds and not be cursed for it. And tonight, everyone else would know it too. With a jolt Eileen saw her sigh as she looked herself over.

"Do you not like it?" She asked hopefully, looking for any excuse to dismantle her creation.

"No it's not that," she said as she shook her head, looking at herself concernedly.

"What is it?" She asked softly. Hermione took one last worrying look at herself before she turned back to Eileen with a brilliant smile.

"Nothing," she said, "I'm just being silly. Thank you so much for your help."

Eileen smiled, even though she wanted to scowl. She hated what she was doing. Before she knew it, she engulfed the other woman in a warming hug and whispered into her ear.

"You and Tom are made for each other," she said, "No matter what happens, you know it's true."

She felt her nod over her shoulder and then let her go.

"Shall I go and announce your arrival?" She asked, "The others should be here soon. We're all heading down together."

"Get yourself ready first," Hermione insisted, "You can't go out there looking like you're headed to the study hall rather than to a party."

Eileen laughed and decided she would. She quickly summoned her robes of black with a blue tinge and changed into them, placing her hair in an elegant knot and then applying a little blush. She then went out before Hermione and stood before the crowd that had gathered while they were getting ready. Abraxus stood there and smiled at her, not bothering to look at Druella's low neckline or the tight curves of her dress. He only had eyes for her. Cygnus gave her a small nod of approval before turning back to his partner who swooned over her, telling her she should wear her hair up more often. Tom gave her a slight nod and she went over to join him away from the others.

"Anything?" He asked her.

"No," she responded coldly. She followed his eyes as he looked over to the door where she still hadn't emerged.

"What's taking her so long?" He asked her impatiently.

"She's more than likely a little nervous-"

"My Hermione does not get nervous," he told her sternly.

"She'll be out when she's ready Tom," she snapped at him, "And not before."

He glared down at her and she lost some of her resolve.

"Forgive me," she muttered, bowing her head, "I do not know my place at times."

"So it would seem," he muttered back, "You are forgiven for now. Go and placate Abraxus before I change my mind."

Apparently she didn't need telling twice. Tom took another sip of his drink and waited for Hermione to appear. It took another ten minutes before she finally decided to show up. He couldn't help but think that it was well worth it. She was well wrapped up inside her silver cloak but she looked every bit as beautiful as he knew she would. But this beauty was darker. This beauty held power and grace. It was everything she was and everything that she was going to be all rolled into one. He couldn't help but notice that he wasn't the only one staring. Both Abraxus and Cygnus had bowed their heads in recognition of their lord's choice and Druella was staring at her in wonder. Eileen could only avert her eyes. Tom stepped forward and took her arm.

"I would like it very much if you would keep your hair that way," he said.

"I think perhaps I will," she smiled. With that the group moved off together. Students that had not been given an invitation to the party seemed to part as they went by, Tom and Hermione at the front and Abraxus and Eileen at the back. Tom couldn't help but notice with satisfaction that Hermione received many stares as they walked by. Some disbelieving, others lustful but mostly they were stares of fear. Yes, Eileen had done her job perfectly. The same effect seemed to occur as they entered Slughorn's office. As they descended the stairs into the crowd people parted to admit them into their company, some looking in awe and others averting their eyes out of respect. Tom's less familiar servants bowed their heads Just as Abraxus and Cygnus had before they had left. There were only two that kept their heads raised in defiance. Tom had always known that Mulciber and Dolohov would be a problem. It had taken him too long to tame them and he knew they would be difficult in accepting their new Lady. Tom suddenly felt her shiver at the looks she was being given and he tightened his grip around her arm.

"Relax," he whispered into her ear, "They're like dogs Hermione, they can sense fear. Straighten yourself and exert the confidence I know is there. Show them what you showed me when you first arrived."

She seemed to heed his advice and stand up a little straighter, changing her expression from meek and slightly frightened to confidence and defiance. Tom couldn't help but internally chuckle when he realised that it was the same expression she wore when she sat to dinner with them for the first time. As he led her further into the crowd he saw Slughorn approach them with the most gracious smile on his face.

"My, my," he said, "I had wondered when you two would realise there was potential there."

"It did take some time Professor," Tom answered him.

"See that you look after her Tom," he waggled his finger good naturedly, "You won't find many like her."

"She's one of a kind," Tom whispered into her ear and she seemed to blush slightly. It was clear to him that she was not used to this kind of attention.

"Miss Evans you look absolutely radiant."

They turned to see Dumbledore smiling down at them. Hermione smiled back at him lovingly.

"Thank you Professor," she said, "I have to say that your purple robes make you look rather dashing. The yellow stars really bring out your eyes sir."

"You are too kind," he said before turning back to Tom, "Could I trouble you to allow me a few moments with your lovely date Tom? A turn about the dance floor should do it."

"Certainly Professor," he smiled, even though inside he was seething, "Just bring her back to me in one piece."

"Of course," he smiled before leading the young woman away. Tom glared at them the entire time on the dance floor but was pleased to see her glaring at the old man and telling him off when he presumably asked what she was doing with Tom when she was engaged. As the song ended she stormed off in Tom's general direction and reattached herself to him without saying a word. No matter, he would ask her about it later and she would tell him. There would be no secrets between them now. It was then that Cygnus appeared and took her away for another dance, after getting permission from Tom of course. He soon watched as not only Cygnus asked for a dance but Abraxus and then Rodolphus and to his shock even Mulciber and Dolohov. He could see her talking to them as they moved, sometimes smiling, sometimes laughing and other times furrowing her brow in concentration or looking down her nose at them in cold indifference. Tom knew that each and every one of them was giving her the third degree and making sure that she was suitable for their Lord. And she handled them beautifully. Each that stepped in to take the other's place left with smiles on their faces and gave Tom nods of approval. All but Mulciber and Dolohov were satisfied but that was nothing. He could get rid of them later. Finally when all was said and done and she had mingled with all of his servants and their partners for the night he approached her. He placed his hand around her waist and guided her back to the dance floor where she willingly went with him with a smile.

As a woman by the name of Celestina Warbeck made her way to the microphone he placed one hand at her waist and held her free hand as the other went to his shoulder.

"This is wonderful," she said to him as they moved slowly across the floor, "After all my years of fighting, I never thought that…"

"This is only the beginning Hermione," he told her.

"This world that you've created for yourself," she whispered, "So full of glamour and danger and deceit. Don't you tire of it?"

"How could I tire of something that could give me everything I've ever wanted?" He asked her, "How could I tire of it when it has led me to my equal?"

She shook her head but said nothing more. Tom lifted her chin to make her face him.

"This is our world now," he told her, "You can't escape it."

She smiled to him.

"I don't think I want to," she told him, "You were right. I've spent too many years fighting. It's time to rest."

"Good," he whispered before he shocked the room by planting a kiss on her lips, "Because you know I would chase you down if you ran."

"I know," she smiled, "That's why there's no point."

They continued to dance until the Celestina finished on a long quavering note and bowed to the audience that she had gained. Tom and Hermione clapped along with everyone else and the band took over once more. They danced a few more times before they tired of it and went to get some punch. Hermione stiffened slightly when she saw that Potter and Weasley had entered the room but glared firmly at them when they looked her way. When they saw that she was with Tom they each smiled leeringly and bowed to the girl before them mockingly. Tom would deal with them later.

"Why would Slughorn even invite them?" She asked him angrily, "They mutilated two of his students."

"Slughorn is flighty at best Hermione," he informed her, "You know that. It doesn't help that Druella and Eileen are female. Had it been Abraxus and Cygnus he would have been screaming for their expulsion but because there was no sinister nature about the crime-"

"No sinister nature?" She asked him incredulously, "They marked their house symbols into their skin!"

"He and everyone else in this castle see it as interschool rivalry," he told her, "That is why no one has been punished for anything they've done. Now, had Weasley and Potter forced themselves onto Eileen and Druella or taken their lives it would have been a different story, however because house symbols are involved…we are resolved to fight our own battles."

He could feel her absolutely seething at his words and was almost delighted by it. Perhaps he would finally get to see her kill someone? He hoped like hell it was Slughorn. That prick was annoying at best.

They stayed for at least a few more hours until the clock struck one and Hermione was beginning to get tired. He wrapped both his cloak and hers around her before he gave her a kiss on the forehead.

"I have urgent matters to attend to," he told her, "I'll see you when I get in."

She looked puzzled at him but said nothing against it and moved out of the dungeons with everyone else, moving quickly up the stairs to the seventh floor. Tom then turned to his followers who had gathered behind him.

"Leave," he commanded, "All except Dolohov and Mulciber, leave."

They did as they were commanded and Dolohov and Mulciber looked at each other in confusion before turning back to their master who led them to a secret passageway. Once they were securely inside he placed silencing spells and wards over the area.

"Now that we have our privacy," he said to them lightly, "I have questions for the two of you."

"Anything my Lord," Mulciber bowed, "Anything for you."

"You have objections to my choice?" He asked them.

They each looked at each other again. Tom could tell that they were trying to figure out whether to be honest or not. He stared down at them imperiously as they gazed up at him once more.

"Of course not my Lord," Dolohov answered first, hesitantly, "She is perfect for you-"

"Liar," Tom interrupted him lightly.

"We like her well enough my Lord-" Mulciber started.

"Liar," he said again though this time with a little more intensity.

"She's very pretty-"

"Liar."

"She's too ill tempered-"

"Liar."

"She's too arrogant for our Lord-"

"Liar."

"She's a lousy blood-traitor whore!" Dolohov finally roared and Tom's eyes flashed a momentary scarlet.

"Crucio," he muttered, his wand aimed at the boy. He instantly fell to the ground and screamed in agony. Mulciber looked on frightened by what he was seeing. Tom finally relinquished the curse and stared down at Dolohov.

"I know she is a blood-traitor," he told him quietly, "Do you think I was not aware of this from the beginning?"

Dolohov only coughed in response.

"Of course not my Lord," Mulciber instantly began to grovel at his feet, kissing the hem of his robes, "My Lord knows all, sees all."

"Your Lord is very angry with you," Tom told him quietly, "He sees your loyalty wavering."

"No my Lord," Mulciber panicked, "Never my Lord."

"You think because I have chosen this girl that I will suddenly waver from my path," he said, "That I will suddenly change my mind and put all I've worked for aside just for her?"

"No my Lord," he repeated.

"Perhaps if you had been smart you would have seen that I am not the one changing," Tom whispered to them, "Perhaps if you had been smart you would have seen the goddess forming right before your eyes. You know the power she has. Imagine hers combined with mine, the things we could do."

He kicked Mulciber away and began to pace the room.

"We would rule the world in a matter of years," he said, more to himself than to the others, "Not just this pathetic spit of land but the entire world. And with our minds put together we would be able to evade even death itself! All I needed was for her to submit to me and now that she has our dream can become a reality. She can have everything she's ever wanted and I will gain an entire world of possibilities!"

The other two looked at each other and then back at each other. It seemed that their master had forgotten their presence entirely. Should they alert him or leave him to his musings and listen on like flies on the wall? Surely there were parts of this that he wouldn't want them to hear.

"M-my Lord?" Mulciber spoke.

"And her power!" He continued, "Her power is limitless! As soon as her training is complete and I have complete possession of her I will be invincible with her by my side!"

"My lord?" Dolohov joined in.

"The entire world will tremble at our feet! Fear to speak our names! Lord Voldemort and his Lady will become the most revered witch and wizard of all time and no one will dare to defy us!"

"My Lord!" A different voice spoke.

Tom turned to see Abraxus at the doorway. He looked completely exhilarated by some discovery he had made. Tom walked towards him with a slight scowl.

"Speak," he said, "I'm busy here."

"With all due respect my Lord," he said, "Your work here pales in comparison to what has happened on the seventh floor. You need to come with me immediately."

"Why?" He asked, "What has happened?"

"It's Hermione my Lord."

Tom didn't wait to hear the rest. He moved quickly out of the passageway and ran up the staircase as quickly as possible with Abraxus in toe. It was only when he reached the seventh floor that he turned back to Abraxus and shoved him against the wall.

"Where is she?" He snarled.

"Left wing corridor," he told him, "Tom its ok, she isn't hurt. Not physically anyway."

Tom blinked at him.

"Come," Abraxus told him, "You'll understand when we get there."

They moved at a slower pace this time around. When they came to the left wing corridor and pulled back the tapestry that concealed a secret passage way that led to the Head Boy rooms they were met with a gruesome sight. Hermione sat on the floor, her hands hugging her knees to her chest as she was covered in blood and shivering. The first thing Tom immediately noticed was that she was missing both cloaks that had been given to her and her dress had been torn in several odd directions. Whatever had transpired here had not been good. Her eyes were completely fixed on the coughing and spluttering human being before her that had been completely mutilated. Tom moved in quickly and placed his jacket over her, wiping her face with his sleeve. He then looked down at the body and a satisfied smile played on his lips before he turned back to her. It was Callus.

"What happened?" Tom asked Abraxus, trying to look more concerned than happy.

"I'm not sure," he said, "I walked in just as she killed him. She used a spell that I had never heard of. From what I could gather he attacked her while she was on her way back to your rooms and she defended herself."

To her credit, Tom noticed that she didn't cry. She just sat there staring at the body and breathing shallowly. She trembled slightly as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"Stand," he commanded her quietly. With a bit of guidance she did as she was told. Tom then turned his attention to Callus who looked up at him in a mixture of fear and defiance.

"Pathetic fool," he spat at him, "She's been living with me for the past weeks and you think you can take her now when you couldn't defeat her before? Now when she is being trained and taught to inflict pain without fear? You are the definition of the word _idiot_."

"It doesn't matter how much you train her," he coughed out some more blood, "She'll always be a filthy whore. She'll be your downfall Riddle."

"No," Tom smirked, "Today she is yours."

He turned back to her and pressed a kiss to her forehead, tasting Callus's blood on his lips as he spoke to her.

"What would you do with him?" He asked her softly, "If you were in my place, what would you do to make him pay for harming me?"

She seemed to think about it only for a few seconds before she looked down at him and glared a glare full of ice and pain.

"Kill him," she whispered. It wasn't an answer, it was a command. One that Tom was only too happy to follow. Callus only had seconds to register what was going on before Tom's wand was out and a jet of green light was thrown his way. He then turned back to Abraxus.

"Dispose of the body," he said to him, "Then spread the rumour that he's left the castle out of emergency to go to France. After that rumours that Grindlewald got to him should take over."

"Yes my Lord," he bowed before he ran off to fulfil his lord's wishes. Tom then turned back to Hermione and hugged her closer to him as they continued up the passageway and into their rooms. Tom slowly herded her into the bathroom and vanished the blood soaked dress from her body. Such a shame, it had looked so beautiful on her. Then he made quick work of his own robes and ushered her into the shower. The water seemed to soothe her more than words ever could but he couldn't help himself from speaking.

"Look at it Hermione," he said as he ran soap over her body, "Look at his blood as it leaves your skin. It all washes away with time. The memories always fade. Soon you learn not to care. It all washes away with time."

She shivered as he ran his hands up and down her sides, slicking her body with soap and water. He gently pushed her head under the spray of the water and continued.

"I'm proud of you," he whispered. He could feel her relax at the sound of his words. He accompanied this with stroking of her hair.

"And now that he's gone," he told her, "Now that he's out of the way, the one annoyance capable of ruining it all, I can show you everything."

She relaxed even further and leaned against him as he wrapped his arms around her waist and nuzzled at her neck. He revelled in the soft moan that escaped her lips.

"We will rule the world together Hermione," he told her. Then she muttered.

"Dumbledore," she whispered.

"Isn't a factor," he answered softly, "Simply an old fool with nothing left but suspicions. He can't do anything to us."

She moaned again as he bit down on the flesh of her neck and smoothed it over with his tongue.

"He is nothing," he whispered, "Nothing compared to us and what we can do together."

"Grindlewald," she muttered again.

Tom snorted.

"You've seen his pitiful attacks," he told her, "He's just as bad as Dumbledore."

He felt her stiffen slightly at his words but thought nothing of it as she relaxed again when he ran his hands up and down her back under the spray of water.

"The world is ours," he whispered. Hermione's eyes stayed blank as she contemplated his words. She stayed still and motionless and until his hands came around to caress the soft flesh of her stomach. Even while he ravished her that night and left her completely breathless, she couldn't help but think of what she had gotten herself into.

What would he do to her when he found out he was completely wrong?


	22. Good Girl Gone Bad Part 2

**Hello Lovely Readers!**

**Right, here's the next bit. It's a little longer than I thought it was going to be but my beta says its good as is so let me know what you think!  
**

**Happy Reading! R&R would be appreciative.  
**

* * *

Chapter Twenty Two: Good Girl Gone Bad Part 2

_Christmas Eve Morning…_

Hermione woke up in his arms as per usual. It had become practice for her to sleep in his bed, even if she was supposed to be engaged. She couldn't help but reflect on the most recent events of her knew life as she moved out of his sheets and into the cool morning air. A lot had changed since Draco and Severus had left. To her surprise and almost relief the school had accepted the fact that she and Tom were now together, of course it did help that he was the most feared wizard in the castle and not many would speak out about his choice. It certainly made life easier to know that half the girls of Hogwarts weren't going to come after her because she was sleeping with their crush of the last seven years.

She moved quickly around the room collecting her clothing and placing some of it on her body before she moved through the door that Tom had placed between their rooms and grabbed a change of clothes for the day. They had no classes for that day but Hermione was more than positive that Slughorn would give the remaining students a pop quiz on Christmas day. It just sounded like one of the deranged things that he would do. He had always been strange. After she had changed she picked up her potions book and noticed that a piece of parchment had fallen out of it. She picked it up and realised that it was the letter she had received almost a week ago. She had completely forgotten about the 'friend' who had written to her and asked to meet. She had never intended to go anyway. It was far too risky and there was no telling whether this person was indeed a friend or a foe.

"You're up early."

She turned, hiding the letter behind her back as he came in with the same devilish smirk in his eyes. It seemed he never wore any clothes around their chambers anymore.

"I couldn't sleep," she smiled as he came over and planted a small kiss on her lips and she melted into his arms. She could feel him smirking as she rested her head against his chest. She wanted nothing more than to wipe it from his face.

"Come," he said, "There's nothing for us to do here. We'll go down to breakfast and then take a stroll by the lake."

She hated the way that he was always commanding her. It made her feel like a dog. But the way he said it, the tone of voice he used…she couldn't help but obey. His charisma shined through with every syllable that left his talented lips and command was all he knew. Requests became commands within seconds and truth became lies within minutes. It just wasn't in his nature to make a request without a guarantee that he was going to get what he wanted and so he never asked for anything. He just got it. Hermione knew how he worked now, how he operated inside his head. Only a few things were missing, a few things that would give her complete control. It was why she was playing little miss submissive. There was nothing else she could do to convince him that she was on his side…at least not at the moment. So as she sat by the lake with the potions book in her hands, surreptitiously watching Tom behind the cover, she thought through all the plans that had run through her head. She knew she couldn't keep this act up forever.

She had his trust so the rest was easy. Soon he would tell her everything, try to get her over-sized brain to work on figuring out the kinks in his plans and then he would put her to use on the battle field once he had her trained in all the dark arts he knew. Then he would continue to have her teach him all she knew from the Dark Arts volumes she had happened upon in her time. _The Magic of the Shadow, The Spells of the Night_ and_ The Potions of the Darkness_ were books that could not be ignored as far as power was concerned. But it didn't bother her at all that she was teaching him. After all, she had taken the books from _his_ personal library in the future. He would learn from them one way or another and at least this way she could control what he learned and how quickly-

"For the smartest witch of the age you have to be one of the densest human beings I've ever met," he told her. She rolled her eyes as well. It was customary after all. He knew how much she hated being interrupted while 'studying'.

"And why's that?" She glared, playing along nicely.

"You know that book back to front," he said to her, "And possibly sideways if you count the notes you've put in the margin."

_I could say the same for you_, she thought internally, careful to keep her eyes on his forehead.

"And your point is?" She asked as she kept skimming over the page she was on, trying to show that she was uninterested. She squirmed slightly when he came closer and he gave her a smirk. Merlin it was hard playing dumb.

"My point," he said huskily, "Is that you are made for far more important things than naming the twelve uses of dragon's blood."

Ok maybe it wasn't so hard. She loved and loathed what he could do with his voice. So much power, so much command could be given in just a single word. It wasn't at all hard to endure when he was that close. She gave a small sigh as he claimed her lips and then she pulled back to look at him.

"Well unfortunately I can't show you my full potential until tonight," she said seductively, reaching her hands around him, "So until that time, can I have my book back please?"

He looked at her for a moment and then looked at the book. Before she could say anything at all he threw it into the lake.

"No."

It was then that she saw him. Draco stood there with a dumb struck expression on his face and then his eyes blazed with absolute fury. Before Hermione knew what she was doing she pushed Tom to the ground and dodged out of the way, shooting one of her own and missing as well.

"Draco stop!" She screamed at him but he wouldn't. He fired another curse at Tom but this time he was ready for it. He blocked it quickly and sent one of his own, hitting the man squarely in the chest. But it didn't stop him. He dodged the next one that Tom sent and then threw another at Hermione. She did the first thing that came to mind and blocked it, conjuring her Patronus straight afterwards which wrapped quickly around Draco and restrained him. The Ridge-Back Dragon held onto him tightly as he gazed up at it in awe before turning back to her, shock taking over his features once more. She tried so hard to look away from him, to not feel the pain that was undoubtedly coursing through him at that very moment. She tried so hard not to feel it…but she failed.

"How could you?" He asked simply. Her heart broke at the sound of it.

"Quite easily," Tom smirked at him before venturing over to Hermione who was leaning on the willow tree. She wanted so badly to push him away when he attempted to check her over for wounds but she stayed there and let him do what he wanted. Though she was sleeping with him and had just saved his life, she wanted nothing more than to kill him for the pain that he was causing her friend. He then allowed her to walk over to Draco and look at him with honest eyes.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly, "I didn't want you to find out like this."

Translation: It's not what you think

He glared at her coldly. She didn't blame him at all.

"Too late then isn't it," he said to her, turning his face away.

Translation: I don't want to hear it. You're dead if I get out of this

She looked him in the eyes as she flicked her wand and let him go. He stared at her, thinking that she hadn't gotten the message and just as he gripped his wand tighter he saw her own message underlying in the act.

No you won't.

"Come on," she said quietly, "We need to talk."

He sneered at her this time and then fixed Tom with another icy glare. Tom simply smiled and waved goodbye. Merlin she wanted to smack him! She turned back to Draco and silently pleaded with her back to Tom for him to keep his wand down. She was so close to getting everything they needed, so close. He couldn't ruin it now.

"You remember the clearing I showed you last time?" She asked Draco, who then stiffly nodded, "Go to it. I'll be there in a few moments."

He glared at the two of them one last time before he made his way inside the forest. Hermione watched him go and then prayed that he would listen to her before she went back to Tom, planting a solemn look in her eyes for his benefit.

"I'm sorry about him," she said, "I never had the chance to tell him…about us."

"I will forgive you this time," he told her quietly, "But only once and with conditions."

She rolled her eyes at him. He really needed a calming draught some days. Perhaps it would remove the stick from his butt?

"Only you would have conditions," she muttered, covering it up nicely.

"You will answer my questions later," he instructed her, "And if he tries to attack you again you will kill him."

Ah, so he was still bent on having her hurt someone just for the sake of hurting them. Cogs turned in her mind as she looked up at him and tried to look confused at his words.

"The only reason he even tried was because he was in shock," she consoled him, "He won't do it again."

"If he does, you will kill him," he reiterated.

"There's no need-"

"Do not question me Hermione," he told her, using a certain command in his voice that he only ever reserved for her, "You will do it. Do you understand?"

She fought back the will to bite his head off and tried to look dumb. She had to let him win, she just had to. She opened and closed her mouth like a fish out of water but said nothing. For the first time he had known her, Tom Riddle had rendered Hermione Evans speechless.

"I mean it Hermione," he said to her, "Either you do it, or I will hunt him down and do it myself and you know that I will make him suffer. Now do you understand?"

She gave a sigh and bowed her head. She couldn't have him do that now could she.

"Yes Tom," she whispered. He placed two fingers beneath her chin and brought her up to face him once more.

"Good girl," he uttered before placing a kiss on her lips, "Now go and speak to him."

She gave him a small smile before she then vanished behind a veil of trees. She searched quickly for Draco and when she came out into the clearing she could see that he had tear stains on his cheeks.

"Draco what you saw was an act," she told him simply. There was no need to beat around the bush. He needed the truth.

"Pretty convincing." He muttered.

"Draco I'm so close," she whispered as she sat next to him, "I'm so close to getting everything we've worked so hard for. It won't be long before he shares everything with me."

"And in the mean time what else has he been sharing?" He asked her venomously.

"Draco I told you, you have it all wrong-"

"So are you telling me you haven't crossed the line?" He spat at her, "You're _not_ fucking him?"

She looked away from him and found something interesting on the forest floor. He got up and stared at her in disgust.

"It's the only way," she whispered, feeling ashamed of herself.

"_It's the only way_?!" He yelled, "It is _not_ the only way! We had plans! We had tactics-"

"They were all going to fail," she told him, "Having him simply take an interest wasn't going to work and the only way to get him to trust me was to give myself to him."

"So, what?" He asked, "You're just letting him screw you every night so that you can pick his brain in the morning? Do you just lie there?"

She cringed at his callousness but she knew she had to tell him everything if he was going to understand.

"There's an attraction there," she admitted and he scoffed, beginning to pace around the clearing, "I won't deny that I feel something for him but I've worked too long and too hard and fought too much to let him control me. It's why Severus chose me, he knew that he would try and manipulate me-"

"He knew he would try and manipulate you what he didn't know was that you would let him!" He yelled, "You can't deny it Granger! He's changing you!"

"Yes he is!" She suddenly yelled, tears starting to fill her eyes, "He is changing me! He's teaching me and I may not like what's happening to me but it has to be done if I'm going to survive and everyone is going to come out of this alive!"

She walked over to him and cupped his face in her hands, desperate to make him understand.

"Don't you get it?" She asked him, almost sobbing, "I have to beat him at his own game. I have to play along with him until we have everything and if that means that I have to change, if that means that I have to let myself be manipulated for the time being in order to win, in order to save Harry then I'll do it!"

He stared at her for a few moments before he pushed her back to look at him.

"Granger," he said softly, "You can't save Potter. He's dead."

She blinked at him through her tears.

"What?" She asked.

"Potter's dead," he told her, "You were there. You saw it happen."

"Yes I know that Harry's dead," she said as she wiped her eyes, "What's that got to do with anything?"

He blinked at her.

"You can't save him," he told her firmly, "You can't change what's already happened."

"I wasn't planning to," she said plainly.

"Then why did you say you wanted to save him?" He asked her.

"I didn't."

He blinked at her again.

"Yes you did," he told her firmly, "You said that if you had to let yourself be manipulated in order to win, in order to save Harry then you would."

It was her turn to blink once more.

"No I didn't," she said, "I said in order to save Ron."

He shook his head but didn't broach the subject again. What was he thinking, she knew what she said she wasn't going mad. No doubt he would go and tell Severus later and he would have a big tantrum about it too.

"Look," she whispered, clearing away more tears, "The point is that no matter what you saw or what you might see in the future I'm still on your side. I would never abandon this or let him control me."

He just shook his head and stepped away from her.

"If you'd chosen any other path," he said quietly, "Any other way to do this I would believe you. But until its over I can't trust a thing you say."

"I understand," she said as she came up close to him. There was only one way to prove her loyalties enough for him to go away and not try to pull her out early. She reached behind her and took out her daggers. At first he thought that she was going to attack him but she didn't. She pointed the blades' edges to herself and gave him the handles.

"If I ever do turn out to be an evil bitch," she whispered, "You have my full permission to run me through with these."

He looked at them in confusion for a few moments before he took them from her and hid them inside his robes. She received a curt nod and knew that it was going to be ok…for now.

She realised that it had been almost an hour since they had entered the forest and signalled for them to leave with a small wave of her hand. Tom would soon become suspicious if she didn't get back soon. There was tense atmosphere between them that hadn't been there since the days that she had believed him to be a Death Eater in the making and it was something she definitely wasn't proud of. But it could not be avoided. He and Severus had to trust her and if they had to estrange themselves from her in order to do that then that was what had to be done. As they reached the great winged boars a thought occurred to her. She couldn't keep it if she wanted Tom to believe that she was truly his. She turned to him and ripped the ring from her neck, and placed it in his hand.

"Tell Severus I'm sorry," she whispered to him.

"This is going to kill him," Draco sneered back, "He really thought you could do this-"

"Well I can't," she cut him off, "This is the only way."

He glared at her for the umpteenth time that day and then turned his back on her as he opened the gates and stepped outside.

"See you round Granger," he said as he shut the gates once more.

"Don't come back Draco," she said to him firmly, "Not like this. You'll do yourself more harm than good. Trust me."

He simply turned his back from her and apparated away. Just before he did she could have sworn she heard "I wish I could."

***

She had evaded all of Tom's questions successfully and without trial and now as she sat in her chair and waited for Eileen to finish her work she couldn't help but think how easy this had become. Fooling him, making him believe that she was his was just as petulant as taking a liquorish wand from a two year old. It wasn't enough. As she sat there while Eileen threw eye shadow in all directions she realised she wanted more than to just plain defeat him. She wanted to destroy him. Every ounce, every inch of his being should be punished, not just for the fact that he had destroyed her family and friends but for the fact that he was changing her. She was not oblivious to the fact that these thoughts were not her own. She knew that they came from his training, from his presence inside her mind and around her body. It didn't stop her from wanting what those thoughts instilled in her all the same. As Eileen worked on her hair she couldn't help but wonder what Riddle would think if he learned that he was creating his own destruction. She gazed at herself in the mirror and the thought finally occurred to her that she may not like it much either. What she was doing was for the greater good and yet she couldn't help but feel as though she was bringing about more than one doom. The thoughts and feelings he was planting within her, that she was allowing to take over her very being in order to beat him…they were starting to beat her in turn. It was those thoughts that were starting to unfold a plan inside her mind, those thoughts that were allowing her to think about it without feeling guilty for what she was going to do.

"Do you not like it?"

Hermione looked over at Eileen. She had completely forgotten that she was there. She hastily put a smile on her face before turning back to the mirror and unconsciously letting it slip.

"No it's not that," she said as she shook her head, looking at herself concernedly.

"What is it?" She asked softly. Hermione took one last worrying look at herself before she turned back to Eileen with a brilliant smile.

"Nothing," she said, "I'm just being silly. Thank you so much for your help."

Hermione smiled even though she wanted to scowl. She hated all this pretending and even though only half of it was pretend she hated the half that was real all the same.

She was slightly startled when Eileen came up to her and hug her tightly.

"You and Tom are made for each other," she said, "No matter what happens, you know it's true."

Hermione felt herself nodding before she could stop herself. Even though she had admitted it a few days before it still didn't seem right to acknowledge it to the others. She stayed silent as Eileen let her go and tried to fix her mask once more.

"Shall I go and announce your arrival?" She asked, "The others should be here soon. We're all heading down together."

"Get yourself ready first," Hermione insisted, "You can't go out there looking like you're headed to the study hall rather than to a party."

She thought some more as Eileen left the room in order to tell the others that she was ready. She looked herself over once more in the mirror and felt her breath become short. Maybe Draco was right. Maybe he was starting to take more control of her than she thought. He had now completely altered her appearance through Eileen and turned her into a sultry queen of darkness! She wasn't an idiot she knew he had sent her! And she had let him. Was it really worth it? Did she really think that her inner, self sacrificing Gryffindor could get her through this?

"Do I really have the strength for this?" She asked herself.

She looked down at her wand and couldn't help but hear Harry's voice inside her head.

_Yes you do_, he said without any doubt inside, _you always did._

She looked in the mirror where Ron's ring would normally have been hanging around her neck. She touched her decollate and stared.

"I'm not so sure any more," she whispered. She took a small turn about the room before finally saving face and putting on a firm mask of confidence and mystery. She would need it tonight. As she descended the stairs and saw all those she deemed friends she couldn't help but notice the change in their demeanours. Cygnus and Abraxus in particular bowed their heads in respect and she couldn't help but note it. Obviously tonight was more than just a party to attend. Tom was waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs. He spoke softly as he took her arm.

"I would like it very much if you kept your hair that way," he said. A soft shiver went down her spine at his voice. It was hard to resist him when he was that gentle, almost human.

"I think perhaps I will," she smiled and they moved out of the rooms and into the hall to journey down to the dungeons. She did her best to try and ignore the looks of fear and lust that were being sent her way and noticed that Tom was revelling in it all. To him it must have appeared that everything was coming together. Despite the fact that she could feel it too she did her best to tell herself that she would do anything to stop it.

The same effect seemed to occur as they entered Slughorn's office. As they descended the stairs into the crowd people parted to admit them into their company, some looking in awe and others averting their eyes out of respect. Tom's less familiar servants bowed their heads Just as Abraxus and Cygnus had before they had left. There were only two that kept their heads raised in defiance. Hermione had always known that Mulciber and Dolohov would be a problem. Abraxus and Cygnus had warned her about them on her very first day at Hogwarts and it wasn't something that she was going to ignore. She couldn't help but waver slightly as she stared at them. Tom suddenly felt her shiver at the looks she was being given and he tightened his grip around her arm.

"Relax," he whispered into her ear, "They're like dogs Hermione, they can sense fear. Straighten yourself and exert the confidence I know is there. Show them what you showed me when you first arrived."

She took his advice, knowing that he would not want to sabotage this night just to get a rise out of her. He would do anything to help her at this stage. As he led her further into the crowd she saw Slughorn approach them with the most gracious smile on his face.

"My, my," he said, "I had wondered when you two would realise there was potential there."

"It did take some time Professor," Tom answered him.

"See that you look after her Tom," he waggled his finger good naturedly, "You won't find many like her."

"She's one of a kind," Tom whispered into her ear and she forced herself to blush. She was used to this, after all Ron had been a doting fiancé. But she needed him to think that she wasn't.

"Miss Evans you look absolutely radiant."

They turned to see Dumbledore smiling down at them. Hermione smiled back at him lovingly.

"Thank you Professor," she said, "I have to say that your purple robes make you look rather dashing. The yellow stars really bring out your eyes sir."

"You are too kind," he said before turning back to Tom, "Could I trouble you to allow me a few moments with your lovely date Tom? A turn about the dance floor should do it."

"Certainly Professor," he smiled, even though inside she could tell he was seething, "Just bring her back to me in one piece."

"Of course," he smiled before leading her away. Dumbledore placed his hand high on her back as a true gentleman would and began to lead her around the room.

"I have to say Miss Evans," he said quietly, "You do look absolutely lovely. Am I to assume that Miss Prince was involved with your look for the evening?"

"No matter how hard I tried to fend her off with the 'soldiers don't wear make-up' speech she refused to listen," she laughed.

"It appears that I am not the only one who as noticed," he said in a tone that was much too grave for the subject. How very Slytherin of him to be speaking in undertones.

"Whatever do you mean Professor?" She asked, playing innocent easily.

"You have changed much over the past few weeks," he informed her quietly, "To a trained eye it has been obvious from its very beginning and yet it is only tonight that it has become truly evident."

She allowed a scowl to grace her features. She hated deceiving Dumbledore but if she wished for this plan to work she needed him to think she was lost. She couldn't have any attempts to save her, no interference. It had to be done her way.

"I'm quite sure I don't know what you mean Professor," she said coldly.

"You do Hermione," he said softly, regret dimming the twinkle in his eyes, "And I'm most sorry to say that I helped it along."

She absolutely wrenched herself from his grip and stepped back with a cold imperious stare in her eyes.

"I do not like what you are insinuating Professor," she said coldly, quietly, using her best impression of Tom that she could muster, "And I would appreciate it if you would keep your assumptions to yourself."

He stared at her with more regret as she walked over to meet Tom once more. She couldn't help but notice that half the room was staring at her in awe and wonder. She supposed that with the dress and the cloak and the make-up, that little display must have been quite impressive. She wasn't at all surprised when Cygnus left Druella's side and requested that he take Hermione out for a dance. She had been waiting for the interrogations to begin since before they had left and now that all of his followers were in the same room without question, now was the time to do it. They came up one by one and she handled them as best as she could, scowling at some and laughing with others and paying special attention to what some of them were saying, picking up clues and storing certain things away. All in all it was rather informative.

Eventually Tom decided to be gallant after all and rescue her from it all. Later when she would look over their conversation on the dance floor she would analyze everything he had said and go over every move that he had made but in that moment she just let herself feel. It was probably a mistake but she had made too many mistakes to go back now. When she saw Potter and Weasley make their way inside and they did their petulant little bows she felt rage bubble inside her and made it known to Tom who made some things rather clear. She had never once thought that house rivalry could be taken so far or be so underestimated. But she had seen it first hand and now that it had been said to her out loud, how could she ignore it. He was right. They had to fight their own battles and being Slytherin meant that they would be ignored and punished the whole way through. She couldn't deny that it was the same in her time as well. It would have been wrong.

They stayed for at least a few more hours until the clock struck one and Hermione decided that it was time to leave. He wrapped both his cloak and hers around her before he gave her a kiss on the forehead.

"I have urgent matters to attend to," he told her, "I'll see you when I get in."

She looked puzzled at him but said nothing against it and moved out of the dungeons with everyone else, moving quickly up the stairs to the seventh floor. She slipped easily into the secret passage way that would lead her to the Head Boy dorms and almost screamed when she felt a hand wrap around her waist and another at her mouth, pulling her deep into the shadows.

"Not so tough now are you," his harsh voice dripped with malice, "I promised you I would show you what real power was, didn't I Hermione?"

She could hear the threat in his words and yet for some reason she was not frozen with fear as she should have been. She glared into nothingness as she felt his hand grip painfully on her arm and she waited for the right moment. Something in her had shifted. She became cold and calculating at the sound of danger and allowed him to think that he had the upper hand. She remembered what Tom had taught her about secrecy and cunning and silently summoned her wand to her hand.

"You nasty little bitch," he whispered in her ear, "Finally you don't have your protector with you. Do you know what I'm going to do to you tonight? I'm going to treat you like the little whore that you are and then I'm going to dispose of you. What do you think about that?"

"I think," she said slowly as she drew her wand nearer to him, "That you are delusional."

She cast the fastest slicing hex that she had ever used in her life and sprang from him, turning her back against the wall and watching him slip to the ground in agony.

"So much for real power Callus," she spat at him, "You forget who I've been living with since our duel."

"You'll always be a little whore, no matter what he teaches you," he spat back, "And I will expose you both for what you are!"

She blinked at him for a few moments before she realised that he was right. Tom had paid him a great insult and she had done him even greater disservice. He wouldn't stop in his quest for revenge. More than that, she couldn't just kill him and be done with it. Oh, she would take great pleasure in ending his life; she would no matter who she was. He was vile, evil and cruel and no one could deny that. He was no better than any Death Eater. But the problem stood of hiding the body and coming up with a cover story and- She turned to stare at him once more. He was bleeding rather rapidly on the floor. The idea suddenly occurred to her that he could be useful. He could show her more of what was going on inside Tom's head than what she could ever discover for herself. All she needed was the right setting, the right punishment…

She smirked at him as she discarded both her cloaks.

"What are you doing?" He asked, looking frightened for the first time since she had known him.

"Something," she said as she stepped forward, "That I should have done a long time ago."

She bent down and tore her dress from ankle to hip and ripped one of the half sleeves. She then broke one of the heels of her shoes and then turned back to him. Her eyes glowed with dark intention that she had never felt the desire to execute before. It felt powerful and enticing, something that she had not felt for a very long time. She then aimed her wand on Callus as she kneeled close to him.

"I would close my eyes if I were you," she said condescendingly, "This isn't going to be pretty but it sure as hell is going to hurt."

She aimed her wand at his temple and he floated into standing position as she too stood. She then waited. At first he didn't understand why she was just standing there and then he heard it. Footsteps coming their way. She then smiled the darkest of smiles and cast a spell that brought him more pain than he cold ever imagine. Blood spilled from his body all over her and she screamed as she stumbled back onto the floor, collapsing against the wall as Callus fell to the floor once more. It was then that Abraxus came in and after seeing that she wasn't too thoroughly hurt he ran out of the passageway again to go and warn Tom. She couldn't help the smile that crept across her face as she sat there and waited. She rested her arms on her knees in a relaxed gesture and stared down at Callus. This plan was genius. And to think that the only thing that had stopped her from executing something like this before was morality? She snorted. You couldn't fight pure evil with morality. You couldn't fight Tom Riddle with rules. She convinced herself that she was doing what she had to even though she was thoroughly enjoying watching Callus suffer on the dirty, damp stone floor.

"You know if you hadn't been such a bastard you wouldn't be here," she gloated to him, twirling her wand between her fingers, "I would have chosen someone like Dippet or Binns if you hadn't been an evil prat."

He just coughed in response.

"Funny," she said, "You said you were going to show me what real power was and yet I can only see weakness here. Oh how the mighty have fallen."

She could see the glare in his blood soaked eyes.

"Bitch," he spluttered.

She smirked.

"Soon to be one very happy bitch," she told him. She started slightly as she heard noise coming from the corridor. More footsteps.

"Do me a favour," she said to him condescendingly as she slipped back into position, "And stay quiet. We don't want to spill the beans now do we?"

She instantly slipped back into the shaking and frail Hermione that she had been for Abraxus. To her surprise, Cygnus came through the tapestry. He took one look at Callus and one look at her and his eyes set in an angry scowl as he walked over to her.

"Are you alright?" He asked quietly, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and getting blood all over his own robes. She nodded softly. She could see the murder in his eyes as he stared at her bruises and at the rips in her dress and then he turned his gaze onto Callus. She heard the snarl escape his lips as he drew his wand and turned his back on her. She couldn't help but grab him and stop him. It wasn't supposed to happen like that! She instantly stopped shaking and gripped onto his arm firmly. He turned back to her and saw the command in her eyes.

"No Cygnus," she whispered, "No."

"Why not?" He snarled. She looked at him plainly for a few moments before making a split second decision. She needed this to go her way. If she had to reveal a few things in order to get it done then she would.

"Because I need to see how far he'll go for me," she told him softly, "Leave it."

He seemed to hear the command in her voice and relaxed, leaning back against the wall with her. She could tell that he didn't understand but being tied to Tom as she was, she knew that he wouldn't question her or her methods. She soon heard more footsteps approach and knew that her knight in emerald armour had arrived. She then made another decision.

"Hide," she said to him quickly, "Before they see you."

He looked at her, completely puzzled and as though he wasn't going to do it. She changed her voice from a command to a plea.

"Please," she whispered, "This has to go according to plan."

He drew in a deep uneasy breath before moving into the shadows and then watching the scene unfold before him. She sent a silent thank you his way, knowing full well that she would have to explain herself later and then began to shiver once more as she hugged her knees to her chest and made every cut and bruise visible on her body. Tom instantly ran over to her.

She could feel the smirk on his lips before she could see it. Oh yes, he was definitely pleased.

"What happened?" Tom asked Abraxus, trying to look more concerned than happy.

"I'm not sure," he said, "I walked in just as she killed him. She used a spell that I had never heard of. From what I could gather he attacked her while she was on her way back to your rooms and she defended herself."

She turned up the shallow breathing at that point and leaned into him when he wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

"Stand," he commanded her quietly. With a bit of help she did as she was told without question. She wasn't going to ruin this by pointing out that she wasn't a dog. Tom then turned his attention to Callus who looked up at him in a mixture of fear and defiance.

"Pathetic fool," he spat at him, "She's been living with me for the past weeks and you think you can take her now when you couldn't defeat her before? Now when she is being trained and taught to inflict pain without fear? You are the definition of the word _idiot_."

"It doesn't matter how much you train her," he spat as he looked at her, "She'll always be a filthy whore. She'll be your downfall Riddle."

"No," Tom smirked, "Today she is yours."

He turned back to her and pressed a kiss to her forehead, tasting Callus's blood on his lips as he spoke to her.

"What would you do with him?" He asked her softly, "If you were in my place, what would you do to make him pay for harming me?"

A secret smile played on her lips only for Callus. She leered down at him for only seconds before she spoke again.

"Kill him," she whispered. It wasn't an answer, it was a command. One that Tom was only too happy to follow. Callus only had seconds to register what was going on before Tom's wand was out and a jet of green light was thrown his way. He then turned back to Abraxus.

"Dispose of the body," he said to him, "Then spread the rumour that he's left the castle out of emergency to go to France. After that rumours that Grindlewald got to him should take over."

"Yes my Lord," he bowed before he ran off to fulfil his lord's wishes. Tom then turned back to Hermione and hugged her closer to him. Before they continued up the passageway Hermione turned her face back to where she knew that Cygnus was hiding and gave him an apologetic look before a silent promise to explain in the morning. He had given her what she needed, therefore a few lies of consolation would not hurt.. Tom slowly herded her into the bathroom and vanished the blood soaked dress from her body. Such a shame, it had looked so beautiful on her. Then he made quick work of his own robes and ushered her into the shower. The water seemed to soothe any nerves of murder that were still active inside her body or mind.

"Look at it Hermione," he said as he ran soap over her body, "Look at his blood as it leaves your skin. It all washes away with time. The memories always fade. Soon you learn not to care. It all washes away with time."

She shivered as he ran his hands up and down her sides, slicking her body with soap and water. He gently pushed her head under the spray of the water and continued.

"I'm proud of you," he whispered. Some part of her revelled in the fact that he was proud and she relaxed even further. He accompanied this with stroking of her hair.

"And now that he's gone," he told her, "Now that he's out of the way, the one annoyance capable of ruining it all, I can show you everything."

She relaxed even further and leaned against him as he wrapped his arms around her waist and nuzzled at her neck. She let herself go in that moment as a soft moan escaped her lips but her mind was still racing.

"We will rule the world together Hermione," he told her. She couldn't help but point out the flaws in his plans.

"Dumbledore," she whispered.

"Isn't a factor," he answered softly, "Simply an old fool with nothing left but suspicions. He can't do anything to us."

She moaned again as he bit down on the flesh of her neck and smoothed it over with his tongue.

"He is nothing," he whispered, "Nothing compared to us and what we can do together."

"Grindlewald," she muttered again.

Tom snorted.

"You've seen his pitiful attacks," he told her, "He's just as bad as Dumbledore."

She couldn't help but stiffen at his words, remembering the awful book that Rita Skeeter had written about Dumbledore and the stupid things she had said. After viewing it all first hand Hermione now would not have been surprised if half of it was true. She relaxed as he paid more attention to her body.

"The world is ours," he whispered. Hermione was careful to keep her eyes blank as she contemplated his words. Yes, the world was theirs. But what would they have to do keep it that way? More of what she had done that night? A sick feeling started to take over and the guilt of what she had done began to sink in. The euphoria at Callus's death and the contentment that she had felt at Tom's pride suddenly began to slip away and was replaced by a new fear. How far would she have to go from then on?. She stayed still and motionless and until his hands came around to caress the soft flesh of her stomach. She knew in that moment that now that he had her he would do anything to keep her, anything to keep her in his arms and by his side. Even while he ravished her that night and left her completely breathless, she couldn't help but think of what she had gotten herself into.

What would he do to her when he found out he was completely wrong?


	23. Honesty

**Hello Lovely Readers!**

**Right, here's the next bit. It's a little shorter than I thought it was going to be but my beta says its good as is so let me know what you think!  
**

**Happy Reading! R&R would be appreciative.**

**~VTM  
**

* * *

Chapter Twenty Three: Honesty

She woke up much before Tom on Boxing Day morning and decided to take a walk before she started her day. She had much to think about. She dressed quickly, gave her new hair a strange glance and then parted through the door of what had become _their_ bedroom with all haste. She moved swiftly through the passage way, pausing slightly to glance at the place where Callus's body had once been and then almost ran from the crime scene. She tried as hard as she could not to hyperventilate as she reached the Entrance Hall and moved out into the grounds. She had struggled for sleep all that night as she revisited the nightmare she had created over and over again. She had killed someone, and it wasn't the act that frightened her, it was the reason why and how she did it. She could feel tears beginning to well up in her eyes as she thought about it. She had laughed at him. She had laughed at the poor bastard and gloated to him while his blood soaked her skin, she had manipulated someone into killing him for her and she wasn't even the slightest bit regretful for doing any of it. The only reason she shook from head to toe as she went to sit by the ice covered lake was because she was frightened beyond belief of what she was becoming.

She dusted off some flakes of snow and peered at her reflection in the icy waters. The only thing that had physically changed was her hair and yet she seemed a completely different person. Her skin was so pale lately, so frostily white and cold to touch when she used to be so warm and open. Her eyes were no longer a reminder of chocolate or amber but dark wells of deep sorrow and pain.

That was it.

She had been so angry for so long, even before she had come back to this time. She had been drinking herself to sleep every night, biting off the heads of those around her, resenting the fact that she was the only one keeping a level head. Why was she the only one who wasn't allowed to fall apart?!

_"Why me?" She asked him vehemently again, "Why am I the only one who can't fall apart! They've all shed their tears-"_

_"And you will shed yours," he whispered back harshly, "But not yet. You aren't allowed to fall apart because you possess what the Dark Lord praises above all else. Intellect, cunning, stubbornness-"_

_"And the one thing he despises most," she argued back, trying to struggle free of his bizarre hold._

_"It is not important," he said, finally swinging her round, holding her wrists and backing her into the wall instead, "Not when he doesn't know who you are..."_

"I don't even know who I am," she whispered to herself.

She may not have changed physically but emotionally, mentally, was she still the same person? She looked at her reflection once more and gave a tiny nod. Yes, she had always been this person but now she was no longer restrained by the holds of morality and shame and fear. She had let all that go the moment she killed Callus. This person, this being, she had always been trapped and caged and held back for fear of what she might do. Now she had been unshackled on a risk that she may do something good. If it was one thing that Hermione knew...

"You can't always play by the rules," she muttered to herself.

"What rules?"

She turned to see Cygnus staring down at her. She looked up at him for a few moments.

"My Lady," he bowed slightly as he placed a cloak over her shoulders and sat beside her,

waiting for an answer to his question.

"Nothing," she muttered before turning back to him, "Since when am I a lady?"

"You've always been a lady," he told her, somewhat stiffly, "It's only now that you

deserve the title."

She narrowed her eyes slightly but said nothing. They stayed silent for several minutes until Cygnus could take it no more.

"I request that you explain something to me my Lady," he said quietly, his head still bowed.

"What do you want explained, Cygnus?" She asked, although she knew exactly what he wanted to know.

"Why did you stop me?" He asked her quickly, as though she would change her mind, "Why didn't you let _me_ punish him even further for what he'd done. You could have still had Tom-"

"No I couldn't," she cut him off, "Tom would have recognized your magical signature, he would have sensed you there. I needed him to think that I was on my own."

He narrowed his eyes at her.

"Why?"

She looked up at him for a few moments with no explanation and then she really began to look at him, truly. He was tired, with bags under his eyes and his hair ruffled and strewn in every direction. He looked as though he had a great weight on his shoulders that he couldn't seem to shift. She leaned forward slightly and touched his face and she could feel him stiffen beneath her fingers. His skin was smooth but stubble was beginning to poke through. Cygnus had always been the epitome of prestige and at the very least, a clean shaven face. The fact that he had allowed even a little bit to come through showed signs of stress.

She bit her bottom lip in concentration.

"Take a walk with me Cygnus," she said as she stood, "This conversation will be much to long for us to sit in the snow for. We'll catch cold."

***

He hammered on the door as hard as humanely possible without breaking the wood. He knew she would be here, he knew who she would be with but more importantly, he knew that he would need her advice before he moved forward any further. He hammered on until he heard stirring on the inside and the door swung open to a very peeved Eileen as she did up her dressing gown hurriedly. She looked at him confusedly for a few moments before she returned to looking irritated.

"I'm getting sick of interruptions you know that," she said to him. He cocked his head to the side slightly with a small smirk.

"Who's been interrupting you?" He asked and then noticed her flushed cheeks and swollen lips, "More importantly, what have they been interrupting?"

"Nothing you need to know about," she hissed before stepping out of the door and shutting it behind her, "What do you want?"

"Is Abraxus in there?" He asked her, no hint of jest in his eyes.

She looked at him rather strangely before nodding.

"Any chance you could leave him for a bit to come and talk to me?" He asked, "It's important."

"How important?" She asked, clearly wishing to go back to her previous activities.

"Life and death," he answered solemnly. She bit her bottom lip for a few moments and then turned her back on him, poking her head back inside the room and then moving inside completely, leaving him standing inside the corridor. It was a few moments before she came back out again, fully dressed and no longer looking sexually frustrated.

"Ok," she said as she shut the door behind her, "Let's go to the common room. It should be deserted until about midday."

He nodded and then followed her lead as they made their way down several flights of stares. How the two of them had gotten a private room so late in the year without giving any notice was completely beyond him. He had tried that stunt last night for him and Druella and he wasn't even close. Then again, Abraxus did have more money and an aura of power that seemed to surround him everywhere he went. It shouldn't have really been all that surprising.

They entered the common room and Cygnus placed as many wards as possible around the area so that they were sure to not be overheard. He moved quickly to the staircases of the dormitory and warded them as well, causing anyone who tried to step onto them to instantly go back up to their beds and sleep for another three hours or so. Eileen raised her eyebrows at him but said nothing as he came to sit next to her on the couch. His face was suddenly filled with what looked like fear as he fidgeted with the hem of his shirt and looked anywhere but her.

"Cygnus what's wrong?" She asked him quietly, placing her hand atop of his, "Whatever it is, you can tell me."

"That's the thing Eileen," he said as he suddenly stood once more, "Now that I've dragged you out of your room...I'm not sure that I should."

She stared at him as he suddenly began to pace about the room.

"I've gained some information over the past few hours," he told her quietly as he walked to try and calm himself, "Information that could quite possibly get me killed if handled in the wrong way and given to the wrong people at the wrong time."

He then finally turned to face her, his face a mask of fear and desperation.

"I need your word Eileen," he whispered as he came closer to her and knelt before her, "I need your word as a witch that whatever I have to say to you this morning will not go any further unless its to help me."

"You're asking me to make a wizard's oath?" She asked in shock, "Are you insane?! I could lose my magic!"

"Only if you betray me and while I don't think that would happen I still need to be sure," he pleaded, taking her hands in his, "I wouldn't trust my life with anyone else."

"Not even Druella?" She asked.

He sighed and turned away from her.

"I don't want to drag her into this," he said to her, "We've only just gotten together and I don't want to scare her off by showing her what I've been involved in for the past seven years. She would run and she would be right to do so."

Eileen stared at him curiously for a few moments, cocking her head to the side through slightly narrowed eyes. She moved her hand beneath his chin and coaxed him to look at her.

"Druella may be flighty but she's stronger than you think," she told him, "If you just explained why you joined him in the first place, I'm sure she would understand and stand by you. It may have been a good idea to you at the time, after all we know how convincing he can be, but I can see his ways of life have become a burden to you now."

He smiled sadly to her.

"I knew I was right in coming to you," he said, "But if I am to go on any further I need that oath Eileen."

She stared him in the eyes and then sighed, taking out her wand.

"I, Eileen Andromeda Prince, hereby swear that I will divulge the secrets that Cygnus Severus Black is to tell me today, to no one whom he deems untrustworthy under the punishment of magical dismemberment."

A chill was felt about the air for a few moments as the magic was sealed around them and then Cygnus finally came up to sit by his friend.

"So what's this about?" She asked him softly, "Have you betrayed him?"

"No," he told her, "Not yet anyway. I'm here to ask you if I should."

She looked at him confusedly and he elaborated...

_They walked about the lake several times over, their arms linked to keep their bodies together to fight off the cold, before Hermione spoke again, her eyes set on the path before them._

_"Why did you join him Cygnus?" She asked him softly, "What was your reason?"_

_He stared at her for a few moments before answering._

_"I don't see what that has to do with my question," he told her._

_She laughed bitterly for a few moments, as though she couldn't believe what she was about to ask of him._

_"Believe me," she said, "It has far more to do with it than you will ever know. So what made you do it? Is it the same as Abraxus? Do you believe that muggle borns are responsible for the decline in decency?"_

_"No," he frowned, "It was more...revenge."_

_She stared at him for a few moments before gesturing for him to continue._

_"The way Dumbledore described my sister's attack...isn't entirely accurate," he told her, "It didn't happen all at once. There were several days between what was done to my sister and what I did to that idiot who tried to hurt her."_

_She sighed in comprehension._

_"You went to Tom the moment your sister went to you," she said, "You went to him, knowing that because you were a Slytherin, that the boy who tried to rape her wouldn't be punished."_

_"To put it simply, yes," he agreed, "I was after revenge. I went to Tom and he gave me the tools to do it in exchange for my services."_

_"How long did he enlist you for?" She asked him. He seemed to glare at the ground in order to avoid glaring at her. He then rolled up his sleeve to reveal the mark to her._

_"This doesn't just come off with water, my Lady," he said bitterly. She looked down at the mark, lightly running her delicate fingers over the marred flesh. It took them a while to notice that they had stopped walking. When they had, she looked up at him once more._

_"Are you happy with your choice?" She asked him. He looked at her through narrowed eyes._

_"I would change nothing if given the choice," he told her._

_"That's not an answer Cygnus," she shook her head, "What I asked you is if you were _happy_ with your choice, not if you regretted it."_

_He looked at her, wondering what answer she wished to hear._

_"Just answer me honestly Cygnus," she said softly, "I'm not Tom, you can tell me the truth."_

_He then looked away from her, out to the lake where the giant squid was feeding on some plankton by the shore. Should he really be honest? She had never tried to hurt him before and she hadn't stopped him last night with the intention of stealing glory or hurting him. Perhaps he could..._

_He looked back at her with more sincerity than he was sure she had ever seen._

_"No," he shook his head, "I only did what I had to, to avenge my sister. I didn't want all this. I never wanted to torture muggles or take over the world. I just..."_

_"Just wanted to do what was right," she finished for him, taking his hand in her own, "I understand that feeling very much."_

_"You do?" He asked and she nodded. She then bit her bottom lip once more as she looked back up at him. He could see that she was trying to find the right words, fighting an internal battle of some sort but he didn't have the courage to ask her about it. It would come out when she wanted it to._

_"What if..." she struggled, "What if I told you that I was no longer happy with my decision either?"_

_He stared at her in shock and showed signs of wanting to run but she continued on._

_"What if I told you that my decision was made for the same reasons as yours and although I could never regret it, I am starting to doubt it?" She asked him._

_"Then I would tell you to hold your tongue before you got us both murdered!" He hissed at her._

_She shook her head._

_"So long as we both keep quiet, nothing can go wrong," she told him, "I trust you Cygnus. I know how much your life means to you, so I know that you won't betray me on the off chance that he might kill you just for giving him the news that the one he's decided to bring into his world has every intention of destroying it."_

_She was right. He knew she was right. If he just kept his mouth shut...but he couldn't. Years of torture and training had taught him to go running to his master at any possible moments. He could only just grasp the concept of what she was offering him. A chance to be apart of Tom Riddle's downfall was a once in a lifetime thing, something that he would not be given again. It was his escape, his one out. He had done his deed for his sister so what was the harm in taking something for himself?_

_"If you decide to join me in this you need to know that it won't be easy," she told him, sensing his discord, "You will giving as much, if not more than what you will gain. I'll never be able to give you all the information and you'll be following me on blind faith, Cygnus. If you do this, let it not be for yourself but for the others around you. They're trapped too."_

_The others around him. There were only two that he would do this for. One shared his bed. The other had locked herself up in a room with his best friend the night before and was not about to come out. Before he made any decisions, perhaps he had better talk to her about it? She knew this woman, it appeared, better than Tom ever would. Maybe she would know if the offer was legit? He looked back to the woman who was staring at him, wondering if she had just made a massive mistake._

_"I can't talk about this now," he whispered to her, "Give me some time to decide."_

_She gave him a small nod and with that, he left her standing there by the lake. He had to see Eileen. He just had to..._

Eileen stared at him in shock as he finished the story, her mouth slightly agape and her arms crossed around her middle as she moved her gaze away from him.

"Do you think she was telling the truth?" He asked her, "Do you think she could give me...us, a way out?"

"I-I don't know," she whispered, "I've been spying on this girl for months and not once did I ever imagine..."

"She fooled us all Eileen," he told her in comfort, "Even Tom. He can't hurt you for not picking up on this sooner."

"I'm not afraid of that," she shook her head, "He could torture me for all eternity and I wouldn't care."

"Then why do you look as though you're about to keel over?" He asked.

"Shock," she told him, "I never thought that she was capable of this and even if she were, someone as smart as her would know that telling someone is pure suicide. Especially you. What was she thinking?!"

"I don't think she was."

She turned to stare at him.

"What do you mean?" She asked him.

It was then that he recounted the story of the night before and told Eileen the truth. She hadn't believed what Abraxus had told her, she knew that Callus was dead. What she hadn't known was that Hermione was indirectly responsible.

"She stopped me Eileen," he told her, "She stopped me and the only thing she had to say was that she 'had to see how far he would go' for her."

Eileen looked up at him.

"Maybe she really was being sincere Cygnus," she whispered, "She's more than capable of compassion, you and I both know that. We saw it the night-"

She cut herself off and stared nervously at the ground, biting her bottom lip. Cygnus stared at her and tried to catch her gaze but she refused to look at him. He scowled in her general direction.

"Eileen?" He asked warningly.

"Cygnus," she said very quietly, "You've been very honest with me today. What kind of a friend would I be if I were not honest with you?"

He continued to stare at her as though she had just sprouted two other heads, a fluffy tail and had just tried to eat him. She took a deep calming breath and looked him in the eye, licking her lips nervously.

"Cygnus," she said shakily, "Druella and I were never attacked."

Shock over took his features but she continued on.

"Abraxus came to me that night and told me that Tom needed a favour. I told him that Tom was his master and not mine and then he reminded me of the life debt I owe him. Abraxus promised me that I wouldn't be hurt and he told me to get Druella on it as well. He even promised that Tom would make it worth our while," she snorted, "Gold couldn't fill the hole in my heart that guilt created. They never told us that it was to trick Hermione into hunting down Gryffindors. When I had heard her scream at Dumbledore I knew I'd made a terrible mistake. When I'd seen your face I...please, Cygnus. Don't be angry at Druella. We didn't have a choice."

He seemed to shake with rage from head to toe as she gazed at him. He wanted nothing more than to rip Tom's throat out and mount his head on his mantle piece. In short, the young man was seeing red. How dare he! How dare that snake use the woman he loved in a ploy to manipulate someone else! How dare he use her to- he cut off that train of thought and fixed on another. How dare he manipulate _him_! Not once had Tom ever mentioned the truth. All he had to do was say that he was planning on staging a scene to get Hermione into bed and Cygnus would have gone along with it without creating any drama or objections. He would have done anything he said had he just been...the word slapped him in the face.

Honestly was so hard to come by, even in the days where chivalry was smiled upon and appreciated.

"Cygnus please say something," she whispered, "I'm sorry we kept it from you but we had no choice. If it were not for the fact that Tom had a life debt over me, he probably would have forced an unbreakable vow on the both of us not to tell either of you."

He forced himself to stop shaking and breathe calmly for a few seconds before he regained his composure. He gave a great sigh as he looked at the woman once more.

"I understand that you had no choice," he told her, "I know it wasn't your fault."

"Don't let this make up your mind for you," she warned him cautiously, "Hermione was right...if she was being honest. You can't base this decision on something minor or just on yourself. You have others to think of and this could change your life for better or for worse."

"That's just it," he told her, "I'm not thinking of myself anymore. I have Druella to think of and you for that matter. Abraxus is not going to be around forever."

She cringed at the statement but breathed heavily.

"I know," she whispered. He sighed and moved closer to her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders.

"You knew he was betrothed to someone else last night," he told her in a low voice, "You knew that it would hurt even more when he left."

"I don't regret it," she whispered, "I'll never regret it."

He smiled softly to her.

"This offer," he said after a little while, "If its genuine...it could save us."

"It could," she agreed, "That's also assuming that she has the power to bring him down. He's a great wizard. You would be a fool to deny it."

He nodded.

"But she is also a great witch," he told her, "We know where he draws his strength, but where does she get hers?"

"I don't know," Eileen whispered, "But wherever it is, I hope its enough."


	24. Suspicion and Espionage

**Hello Lovely Readers!**

**Just a little note to all anonymous reviewers. I love that you guys review but it would be absolutely awesome if you could leave an email address or something for me to reply to. You guys leave these absolutely wonderful reviews and I can't answer any of your questions! So please leave an address or some way for me to contact you and I can answer any questions or thank you as soon as possible.  
**

**Happy Reading! R&R would be appreciative.**

**~VTM  
**

* * *

Chapter Twenty Four: Suspicion and Espionage

_She made her way through Knockturn Alley as quickly as possible with her hood raised over her face so that no one could possibly recognize her. She didn't want to be spotted, not even by those that she knew. It was a shameful act she was about to perform and it was imperative that it was kept a secret, otherwise the cycle would never stop. Her father would never stop taking his drugs, he would never stop hurting her mother or sisters and they would never stop blaming her for not doing anything about it. It had to stop._

_She had already been caught selling them off to students for a profit and so she needed to find another route, another way to get her life back to normal. So she had turned to a last resort, her last chance at a life without fear lurking around every corner._

_She moved through the small collections of people that littered the street and bumped into a few. She wasn't surprised to see Tom at Borgin and Burkes and she wasn't at all shocked to see Abraxus in the dark apothecary around the corner. They were regular customers here but despite her Slytherin reputation for being a Potions Mistress at the age of fifteen, she certainly was not. She had avoided this alley at all costs in order to stay away from the same temptations that her father had fallen for and if it were not for his sake, she would have never come here at all. But it was for his sake. It was for all of their sakes._

_She found the store she was looking for. It was dark and dank like the rest of the alley with mould falling from the roof and mildew seeping from the walls. The counter tops were all covered in dust and the paint was peeling from every surface. There was no doubt in her mind that this place had been abandoned for a very long time, at least business wise anyway. The collections of jars told her that it used to be an apothecary, probably old man Parish's before he moved to where Abraxus now purchased his Basilisk venom. But just because it looked abandoned of potions business, didn't mean it was void of business all together._

_It was at that thought that he made himself known. The slimy dealer who had ruined her life from the age of six. His bald head was riddled with warts and scars that had been caused by his own product and the premature wrinkles on his face showed signs of use that surpassed even that of her father. His eyes were wild with suspicion and paranoia and his hands shook as did his jaw as he sneered at her. She had thought that her father's symptoms of using pixie dust had been bad...but this was far worse. This human being was truly pathetic. But his state of discord didn't deter her. She moved into the room even further with an imperious look of anger she had stolen from Tom._

_"Do you know who I am?" She asked him coldly._

_"You can be only one of two p-p-people," he stuttered, "Either you are a c-c-customer, in which case I shall serve you willingly and send you one your way with your dust or mushrooms or other substance of your ch-choosing."_

_"And the other?" She asked._

_"Someone sent to p-p-put me out of business," he told her._

_Her hand stayed in her pocket as he drew nearer to her._

_"And what would you do about that?" She asked._

_"I rely on my b-b-business to survive, little girl," he told her, "I've had many before you come to try and t-t-take it away from me for one reason or another. I t-t-took care of them easily enough."_

_She shook her head and took out what was in her pocket. Her greatest creation. The contents of the vial glowed a bright blue inside her hand, shining an almost blinding light into the eyes of the man. He narrowed his eyes at it._

_"You may have stopped others," she glared at him, "But you won't stop me."_

_At this he lunged at her. She had been planning to exit the shop first so that she could make her warning to all dealers known far and wide but if he continued to pin her down like this it was going to have to be small. She struggled against him as much as possible but he soon made her drop the vial. She held her breath as it hit the floor and thanked Merlin that it hadn't shattered on contact. She finally managed to elbow him in the ribs, forcing him to let her go and fall to the floor. Before she could get away, he tripped her with his foot. They both tried to crawl for the potion, each trying to hold the other back until finally he managed to kick her in the nose and grab a hold of it. As she fell back against one of the shelves he stood with the blue vial in his hands. She clutched her face and felt blood trickle down her chin as she glared up at him._

_He laughed in her face._

_"S-s-stupid girl," he sneered at her, "I'm a d-d-drug lord! I know how to recognize an exploding potion when I see one!"_

_She wiped the blood away from her face and glared up at him some more._

_"Did you really think that th-th-throwing this in my face would do the job?" He asked, "Did you think I would just let you w-w-walk away?"_

_In truth, she had. She had underestimated him severely, judged him by his appearance and thought that he would be easy to take care of. She hadn't taken into account the fact that he had been dealing to her father for years and never been caught. She never once looked at the fact that her father had never been able to stop using, despite years of trying. This man relied on the fact that he looked pathetic, used it as a shield and sword against enemies and he used it very effectively._

_He cocked his head to the side and smiled mirthlessly at her._

_"I kn-kn-know who you are!" He exclaimed, "You're the P-P-Prince girl aren't you?! Your father is one of my best customers, he is. He pays for all my expenses, he d-d-does."_

_She growled at him through the tears that were beginning to spill over her eyes. He then took out his wand and levitated a shard of glass that was sitting near the window sill. She cried out in pain when he lodged it inside her chest._

_"I hope he'll still b-b-buy from me when he finds out his daughter died trying to s-s-save him."_

_She secretly slipped her wand into her hand as she groaned and her breathing became ragged. If this was to be her end..._

_"You-you," she spluttered as blood started to fill her lungs, "You said you recognized an exploding potion when you saw one. W-w-what about concealment devices?"_

_He looked at her strangely through narrowed eyes and she smirked as more blood began to spill from her lips. She coughed out a strange laugh._

_"It's n-n-not an exploding potion," she whispered, "It's a freezing draught."_

_He looked at it in confusion and that was when she raised her wand._

_"Fractus Vas!" she said. The vial began to crack and soon shattered, spilling the contents all over his fingers. The liquid began to solidify and creep over his skin. He screamed as he felt it turn his fingers numb, then his arm and his shoulders. He ran from one end of the store to the next in panic until his legs would no longer work. He gave one final scream of anguish until his lips were finally frozen over with the rest of him and he was stuck on his knees with his arms raised above his head._

_Eileen gave another cough and pulled out another potion inside her pocket and looked at it, noticing the bloody finger prints on the glass. She closed her eyes in acceptance. Her mother and sisters could live in peace now. It would be hard while her father was coming down from the high but his head would soon clear. They would just have to live without her. She knew they could do it. Each and every one of them was strong in their own right. They would be just fine._

_She looked back over at the frozen body of the dealer and gave one last sneer before throwing the potion at the floor before the body. The wood instantly caught fire and spread along the shelves and counter tops, burning the cobwebs and dust into oblivion. The last thing she saw before she passed out from blood loss and smoke was the handsome face of a boy she would never forgive..._

He had saved her that day, healed her and sent her home as though nothing had happened and promised that he would be speaking to her soon. And he had spoken to her alright. He confirmed her fears that it was no act of charity, that he would be expecting payment. She could have lived with that. She could have lived with being bound to a mad man for the rest of her life but the slap in the face was that her efforts had all been in vain. A week later, it was discovered that her father had been permanently brain damaged by his drug abuse. He would never go back to the caring man that she remembered and loved. He would never be her father again. So the abuse continued, her life fell apart and she had no purpose anymore. Her mother continued to try and fend him off every night and her sisters could still hear their mother's screams as he forced her into their bedroom. Eileen would block her ears every summer but even while she was still at Hogwarts she could hear the cries, the pleas for mercy. It would never stop.

Now she had been forced to spy on a girl she had come to call a friend because of the same boy who had saved her life. He had deeper plans for Hermione than he was letting on, that much was obvious. Eileen wanted no part of it. That was why when Cygnus had come to her that morning her heart leaped for joy at the news that Hermione was not completely lost. She was just playing his game. Making him think he had won when he was nowhere near it. The question was how long the girl could keep it up. After all, it was Tom's game. He had been playing it all his life and Hermione was already showing signs of cracking under the pressure. She had looked less than happy with the image that Tom had chosen for her, it seemed that she had killed Callus out of cold blood and she was no longer able to keep up appearances with Dumbledore. Now she was asking Cygnus for help when she didn't even know how loyal he may be to the Dark Lord in the making. She was making bad decisions and it had to stop if she was going in.

From what Cygnus had told her, she sounded genuine. Take his experience and combine that with her behavior ever since she had arrived and you had a recipe for treason in the making. The question was why. Why would she want to bring him down? Why would she even care? She hadn't known him in Italy and Eileen was sure that Tom was not so famous yet as to have his name and his dealings travel all the way across the continent. If they were to trust Hermione they would need to know her motives, her reason for being there in the first place.

It was for that reason, in true Slytherin style, that she had broken into the Head Boy rooms while the couple was out for the afternoon and was searching through the girl's room...

***

"What's the matter? You seem distracted."

Hermione looked up from her plate and over to Tom. It was true, she had been very distracted since her talk with Cygnus, who just happened to be sitting beside Tom at that very moment. She placed a smile on her face and directed it as much as she could not to look false.

"Nothing's the matter Tom," she said softly, "I'm just tired, that's all. The festivities took a lot out of me yesterday."

"Yes," he smirked, "And I can imagine the party the night before was tiring as well."

He kept making references to the fact that she had indirectly murdered Callus all that day and would not let up. It was something that she would much rather forget, perhaps not the murder itself, that had been a taste of sweet revenge, but perhaps the way she had gone about it instead. She had sat there and gloated while he was dying, with his blood sprayed all over he clothing and skin. It was a feeling that wouldn't wash off, no matter how hard she scrubbed herself clean, no matter how raw her skin felt afterwards. The guilt wouldn't abate. She could feel it starting to bubble inside her and take over her actions. She had to stop herself confessing several times already and blowing her cover. It also didn't help that Tom was so proud of her. His smug looks and glowing remarks simply built on the hollow feeling in her gut and deepened the hole.

"Perhaps your lovely lady would like some air Tom?" Cygnus suggested, "It is quite stuffy in here."

"Nonsense," he waved him off, "She's been out by the lake all day. She'll catch cold if she's not careful."

"Then perhaps you would permit me to take her up to your rooms for you?" He asked, "She looks exhausted."

She was exhausted, but not so tired that she didn't know what Cygnus was trying to do. He had been trying to get some more time alone with her all afternoon. Her brain suddenly kicked into overdrive, trying to figure out what he might be after. Would he refuse her offer? Hand her in? Tell her to back off before they both got killed? No, he'd already done that and she thought she may have convinced him that that wouldn't happen. What ever he wanted, he was most determined to get it.

"I think that would be best Tom," she told him, "I've been awake since three this morning."

It was a lie, but a well placed one. Tom rolled his eyes.

"I think our next lesson will involve an hour on learning how to lie," he muttered to her from across the table, "Why are you so eager to leave?"

Her eyes suddenly flickered to Cygnus against her will and Tom looked from one to the other in suspicion.

"Why are you so eager to take her?" He asked almost menacingly. Hermione could feel the rest of the table stiffen at his words. This had to end quickly.

"Tom please," she almost begged just as Dippet came to the podium to speak, "It's not a good idea for me to be here."

He eyed her suspiciously.

"Please trust me," she said, placing her hand a top of his. He looked down at it for a few moments before giving a stiff nod.

"We shall discuss this later," he told her with a glare. She stood and gave him a kiss of thanks before departing with Cygnus out the hall.

"What do you want?" she asked him, the moment they were out of ear shot. They started moving up the staircase and Cygnus took a hold of her arm, leading her to an empty classroom and warding it heavily.

"Were you being honest?" He asked her, "Were you being completely honest with me when you said that you weren't happy?"

Her expression softened when she looked at him.

"Yes," she whispered, "I need this to end. I can't do it alone."

He took in deep breaths and looked away from her as he began to pace.

"Were you being honest too?"

He looked back at her.

"When you said that _you_ weren't happy. Were you being genuine?"

He nodded.

"Yes," he whispered, "I did what I had to for my family and now for that same reason I have to get out."

"Do you think we could help one another?" She asked, "If I get you out, will you be able to help me kill him?"

He stared at her for a few moments.

"Is that what you want to do?" He asked her and she nodded, "Why?"

It was now her turn to look away.

"I told you before Cygnus," she said quietly, "If you're going to do this you will never have all the information required. I can never tell you my motives. Please just trust me when I say that they are pure."

He looked skeptical. She sighed out of frustration and moved over to him, placing his head in her hands.

"Cygnus," she said desperately, "He is a dangerous wizard. He is an evil, dangerous wizard, growing stronger as each day goes by. You know this."

"I do," he agreed.

"He's powerful now," she told him, "He has control over the greatest learning institution in Britain. Imagine what he could have control over in ten, maybe twenty years time."

He stared down into her eyes.

"Or even fifty," she whispered.

"And you've known what kind of a threat he is all this time?" He asked, "You've known what kind of power he has all along?"

"Ever since I laid eyes on him," she told him, "I've fought wizards like him most of my life, I recognize it when I see it."

"And you want to stop it?" He asked her.

She nodded. He took his face from her and walked away for a few minutes, pacing up and down the room and in between desks. She didn't disturb him or make any noise at all as he contemplated everything that was running inside his mind. After at least half an hour of pacing he finally sighed and turned to her.

"Ok," he said, "I believe you."

She let out a relieved sigh and smiled tiredly.

"But if I'm going to help you I have one condition," he told her.

She froze.

"What do you want?" She asked wearily.

He smiled at her suspiciousness.

"We take another with us."

***

She searched through every crack and crevice of that room, sure to replace everything back exactly where it had been before. So far she had come up with nothing and the idea occurred to her that perhaps what she needed was lodged inside Tom's room. That was one place that she was unwilling to go. Tom would instantly recognize her magical signature. She couldn't take the risk.

She plopped herself on the bed in a motion of defeat but froze when she heard the unmistakable crunch of parchment. She frowned to herself and lifted herself from the bed once more. She then carefully removed the pillow that she had sat on and came in contact with two pieces of parchment. One was a letter....

_Dear Miss Evans_

_Although you may be frightened by this message I must implore you not to be. I do not mean for this to strike fear in your heart nor hinder whatever mission you may be on. I simply ask that you meet me at Florien Fortescue's Ice-cream shop at One o'clock on Sunday the 23rd of December to discuss your current predicament._

_I hope very much that this letter finds you well and that I may be able to help you in some way._

_Kind Regards_

_A Friend_

She gasped at the sight of it. Perhaps someone else knew what was going on. She suddenly got the feeling that this was bigger than any of them. There was nothing in the letter to suggest so but something just sent off her warning bells. She then turned to the other, smaller piece of parchment in the hopes that it would offer some kind of clue to what this woman was up to...

_The Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix may be found at Number Thirty Six, Spinner's End._

"What the hell is the Order of the Phoenix?" She muttered to herself. She looked over at the small fireplace in the corner of the room with a curious air. Perhaps...no, she shouldn't. There was no way that she would ever know what was on the other side. She could walk straight into a room full of Italian soldiers for all that she knew...then again that wouldn't be such a bad thing....but still. There was no telling what she would find. Then again, there was no telling what would happen if she entered a deal with this girl and didn't know all the facts. She looked down at the parchment again. She would never get another opportunity like this, never.

She took a deep breath and made magical copies of what she had found before replacing them back under the pillow and making sure that the room was exactly the same as it was when she had entered. She then moved over and stood inside the fireplace, running her hands inside her pockets until she found her small pouch of floo powder. She took another deep breath to calm herself before uttering the words.

"Number Thirty Six, Spinner's End!"

***

"The first thing you need to do is get some sleep."

Hermione nodded as they headed through the corridors to her chambers she shared with Tom.

"I agree," she said to him quietly, "It seems he can see straight through me when I'm tired and half truths won't help us win this."

He nodded and she could see uncertainty in his gaze as the walked on.

"Cygnus," she said softly, stopping him outside her doors to the secret passageway, "If you're unsure about this, I don't want to force you. You have others to think of now-"

"That's what I'm doing Hermione," he told her, "I'm thinking of others. I'm thinking of my family, of Eileen and Druella. They need to get out too."

She looked at him a few moments before nodding and they continued. Each bypassed the spot where Callus's body had once been though he could see that Hermione had to jump over every stone that she remembered had been covered in his blood. A difficult task indeed. He felt the need to say something.

"Hermione," he said to her as they reached the end, "You shouldn't feel guilty about this. He deserved what he got no matter how it came to him. If you hadn't done it, if Tom hadn't dealt his hand soon, then I would have."

"You shouldn't speak so callously," she told him, "He was still a human being, no matter how horrible. That curse I placed on him was one of the darkest and most painful that I know."

"Good," he told her, "As I said, he deserved it. He was terrorizing students long before you got here. Just remember that."

She gave a reluctant nod and turned back to the doors that would lead into her chambers.

"What are you going to tell Tom when he asks what we were doing?" He asked her before she left.

"I'm going to tell him that Dolohov and Mulciber were planning on ambushing me the moment I left the hall," she told him, "And that I didn't want to worry him with it. He should eat that up easily enough."

Cygnus nodded.

"I can see how well that would go down," he told her, "He'll probably end up killing them you know?"

"Yes," she nodded, "But with them its only a matter of time before they come after me anyway. They aren't too happy with their lord's choice."

He nodded again.

"Alright then," he said, stepping towards her and embracing her. She stiffened slightly at first but relaxed into his embrace and leaned her head on his shoulder.

"Thank you," he whispered.

"No Cygnus," she whispered back, "Thank _you_."


	25. Give Me a Reason

**Hello Lovely Readers!**

**Well, here's the next bit. And just so you know, I've started working now so updates won't be quite as frequent as they used to be, however this story will continue no matter how long it takes.  
**

**Happy Reading! R&R would be appreciative.**

**~VTM  
**

* * *

Chapter Twenty Five: Give Me a Reason

She came out the other side of the fireplace and almost collapsed with the abruptness of the entry. It was so quick that it had to either be an illegal connection or a connection that the ministry didn't want anyone to know about. Either way, it didn't matter. If there was something that Hermione was hiding, she would find out about it. No way was she going to go into any sort of deal blind.

She finally caught her balance and moved quickly and quietly out of the dusty fireplace that was now covered in singed spider webs. Her eyes lingered on a few of the dusty objects that lay about the room. Tattered books, an old piano, a sofa and a few armchairs. Spinner's End had obviously been abandoned for a while. She sighed. Such a shame, really; it was a beautiful house.

She moved quietly out of the sitting room and into what appeared to be a dining room. This room was not so dusty, with dinner set for two and candles lit, presumably to stave off suspicion of neighbors and other troublesome viewers. She ran a delicate finger over the surface of the table. It was made of the finest wood, dressed in the most beautiful silk cloth.

There was suddenly a crash from the next room and an almighty shout of "Merlin's balls!"

Eileen drew her wand instinctively and pointed it towards the door where the sound had originated. Smoke began to rise from under the door frame and coughing soon ensued. Then the sounds of a muggle fire extinguisher could be heard and someone finally emerged from what could only be the kitchen. Eileen just couldn't believe it. She almost dropped her wand at the sight. He came out shaking his brown hair of the soot and clearing his steel grey eyes. Eileen couldn't help but shout.

"DRACO MALONE?!"

He lifted his head at the sound of his name being spoken by a feminine voice, thinking that it was Hermione but once he saw Eileen instead he instantly drew his wand and aimed with wide eyes.

"What are you doing here?!" He yelled.

"What are _you_ doing here?!" She yelled back. "You're supposed to be at the front!"

"Like you can talk!" He told her, "You're supposed to be at school!"

"Draco what in Merlin's name are you sh-"

Severus cut himself off as he stopped in the doorway and came face to face with his own mother. He couldn't help but stare at her as she raised her wand to him. In his few short weeks at that he had spent at Hogwarts during this time he hadn't once come across his mother, something for which he had been grateful. He had known all along that it would have made him lose sight of their ultimate goal. Severus couldn't help but study the plains of her face. She had the same sallow skin and midnight hair, the same deep brown eyes that he remembered. She didn't look much different from his last memory of her and that just made it that much harder not to take the wand from her hands and bring her into his arms. Just seeing her at all, even in this angered and weary state, was enough to unravel years of masks and facades that he had built to protect himself.

"And you!" She screeched. "You were supposed to have left too! Hermione is going to be so-"

She cut herself off and stared at the two of them for three very long seconds.

"She already knows you're here," she whispered, "Doesn't she? That's why this address was written on the piece of paper."

Draco stared at her in confusion for a few moments until he finally laid eyes on his former professor and although he was still wearing a mask of shock and disbelief, Draco could see right through him.

"You told her where we were?!" He shouted. "Do you have any idea what you've done?!"

"I did what I felt was right," Severus defended quietly, still choosing to stare at Eileen, "I do not have to explain myself to you nor will I attempt to. You do not have the faith in her that I do."

Draco could only stare at him with wide eyes.

"H-how?" He stuttered, "After everything that I told you? After everything that she's done? What she plans to do? How can you still trust her?!"

"I have my reasons," he told him, finally looking away from Eileen and directly at his former pupil with a glare worthy of Harry Potter, "And you would do well to stop questioning them."

"Give me one good reason to trust her," he demanded, "One good reason."

Severus stared him down as he answered in an icy tone that was most befitting.

"No matter how much she may play with the enemy," he said coldly, "No matter how many times she may lie with him she will always remember who he is. She may forget herself, she may forget us but she will _never_ forget him."

"So what you're saying is that no matter how dark she may get," Draco spat at him, "No matter how powerful she may become through using his ways, so long as he's around we don't have to worry about her taking his place? You know what she's capable of!"

"And so does she," Severus answered him quietly, removing the daggers he kept in a hidden holster behind his back, "That is why she gave you these, or is your mind so addled that it has forgotten even the simplest of details?"

_"Look," she whispered, clearing away more tears, "The point is that no matter what you saw or what you might see in the future I'm still on your side. I would never abandon this or let him control me."_

_He just shook his head and stepped away from her._

_"If you'd chosen any other path," he said quietly, "Any other way to do this I would believe you. But until its over I can't trust a thing you say."_

_"I understand," she said as she came up close to him. There was only one way to prove her loyalties enough for him to go away and not try to pull her out early. She reached behind her and took out her daggers. At first he thought that she was going to attack him but she didn't. She pointed the blades' edges to herself and gave him the handles._

_"If I ever do turn out to be an evil bitch," she whispered, "You have my full permission to run me through with these."_

Draco ran the conversation over and over inside his mind as the three of them stood there, one angered, another confused and the last completely dumbstruck. She had known. From the moment that Severus and Draco had been ordered away, she had known what she had to do...and she knew he would never forgive her for it.

Suddenly he was blasted back into one of the old bookshelves with Severus close behind him. Eileen quickly bound them both and dragged them to two of the chairs that sat at the dining table.

"What the hell?!" Draco protested. Severus merely sat silently in his chair.

"You two," she said in a quiet threatening manner, "Are going to tell me exactly what is going on or I swear I will remove every single appendage from your bodies and torture you until you scream for your mothers."

Severus tried as hard as he could not to laugh at the irony.

"You wouldn't," Draco challenged.

"Remember whose mother she is Draco," Severus said to him just quietly enough so only he could hear. Draco then gulped and Severus sighed.

"You aren't going to like it Eileen," he told her.

"I'm probably not," she answered him, "But if I'm going to dramatically endanger my life, the reason had better be a good one."

Draco and Severus both looked at her before looking at each other in comprehension.

"Do you think it's possible?" Draco asked him.

"If she can not get help from us, why not from someone else?" He told him. "It sounds like something she would do."

Eileen eyed them suspiciously but said nothing. Severus then turned to face her once more.

"Perhaps before we tell you what you want to know you had better tell us why you are here and how you came to know of this place," he said to her.

"Do you take me for a fool?" She asked bitingly. "Once I tell you what I know you won't say a bloody word."

"You've just threatened to torture us," Draco huffed and rolled his eyes, "There's no way we can reach our wands and we're tied to two of the most uncomfortable chairs in history. How the bloody hell could we say no?!"

She seemed to think on it a few moments as only a Prince would. On the one hand the idiot was right; she had the complete upper hand. On the other, they were friends with a girl who in the last few days had shown great skill and strength in the art of deceit. Even when backed into a corner they could be just as dangerous as she was.

"Swear it."

They simply looked at her as the words left her lips.

"Give me your oath that you do not plan to betray me," she commanded.

It was Draco who spoke this time around.

"We can't do that," he told her.

"Why not?" She asked.

"Because to do that we would have to use our real names," Draco told her, "And if we do that then we're bound to destroy everything we've worked for."

She blinked at the two of them and it was then that Severus spoke.

"Eileen," he said, "I know it is very hard for you to do but you must trust us. We have no intentions of dobbing you in or destroying what's left of your life. We will give you the information you seek however you must give us what we need first."

Draco then stared at Severus.

"We can't tell her," he whispered, "It could destroy the-"

"It won't," Severus told him quietly, "Clearly Hermione has given her some sort of hint as to what is going on or else we would not be in this situation."

Technically it was nowhere near true but Eileen was quite content to let them think that it was. She sat there quietly letting them debate among themselves as to what they should do and contemplated her own plans. There was something about this entire situation that made her uneasy; the way they spoke to one another, the way they referred to Hermione, the way they referred to Riddle...It was all so out of place, so out of context to her ears. She was clearly missing so much and the only way to figure out what was going on was through the two she had bound before her. She couldn't out right ask Hermione, seeing as she has no idea that Eileen was in on Cygnus' plans and she couldn't ask Riddle seeing as he was clearly not in on it and it would probably be the last thing she ever did. These two were her only options.

"Alright," she finally said, "I'll tell you."

They each looked at her with slight surprise but once the shock subsided Severus gave her a nod and she began to speak.

"A boy called Cygnus Black came to me yesterday with the information that Hermione Evans was planning to bring down the Dark Lord Tom Riddle," she told them, "Why she saw fit to trust him is beyond me but he has seen fit to trust her and so I am here to see if she is legit. If she is, then I want in as well."

"Start from the beginning," Severus told her urgently. And so she did. She recounted everything she knew right from the day that Hermione Evans arrived at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She told them of how Tom appointed her spy, of how Tom planned to make her his own, of the tricks and stunts he pulled just to bring her under his control. She also told them how Hermione evaded almost every single one of them. Then she told them of Cygnus's betrayal and how it would mean both freedom and death to a great many people. By the end of it the two of them sat there completely dumbstruck and awed.

For Draco it all began to make sense and fall into place. It was why they were sent away, why Hermione told him to leave after he had come back, why she hadn't contacted them even though Severus had left her the only clue she would ever need. She had planned to do this without them now.

For Severus, Eileen's information was most frightening. He had never imagined that the Dark Lord would go to such depths to secure her services so early in his magical life. He had heard tales and experienced first hand the kind of manipulation the Dark Lord would pull off to get what he wanted. It appeared that even now he was used to succeeding. It made him cringe at the idea that Hermione was taking him on at his worst.

"I'll never doubt her again," Draco muttered, "Never again."

"You never should have in the first place," Severus snapped at him, "However there is a great difference between doubting her and fearing _him_. It seems there is much that we have miscalculated since we arrived here."

"Like what?" Draco asked.

"Like how far he is already willing to go to achieve his ultimate goal," Eileen answered, "You're really here to stop him aren't you?"

Severus nodded. She then turned to Draco.

"None of you are from Italy," she stated, "None of you are soldiers."

"Actually we all are," Draco told her, "Just not the kinds of soldiers you're used to."

"We are members of the Order of the Phoenix," Severus told her.

"And what is that exactly?" She asked.

"An organization that was set up by Albus Dumbledore in the 1970's with the sole purpose of fighting the Dark Lord Voldemort."

She blinked at them and tried to process what she had just heard. She ran the sentence over and over again inside her head and each time it came up with the same result.

"I'm sorry I must have misheard you," she said quietly as she stared at them, "You couldn't have said-"

"I did," Severus answered, "You will find this very hard to believe Eileen but Draco, Hermione and I are from the year 1997. We have come back in time to win a war that was started the very moment that Tom Marvolo Riddle left Hogwarts School and never returned."

She narrowed her eyes at him instantly and raised her wand to the two of them once more.

"What kind of fool do you take me for?" She hissed, "It's impossible to travel that far back in time. The only device even capable of taking a human being back in time is a time turner and the furthest they may go is a few hours. If you think for one moment that I'm going to swallow that garbage-"

"It's true," Draco told her quietly, "How else would Hermione and Riddle gotten to the village on time during Grindlewald's attack? It had already happened."

"How else do you explain the fact that I know everything about you?" Severus took over, "Your life has already passed before my eyes."

Her eyes narrowed even further and she placed her wand directly at his throat.

"You lie," she accused, "You know nothing about me."

Severus closed his eyes.

"On the contrary," he told her, "I know too much."

Her breathing became slightly shallow at the thought that someone else knew of her shame, that someone else knew what torture she had endured. Severus opened his eyes once more and looked directly at hers.

"Your father's dabbling in magical narcotics has endangered your life many times, Eileen."

She sneered at him.

"Anyone could have told you that," she spat.

"No one could have told me of your life debt to Tom Marvolo Riddle, could they?" He asked, "Except either you or him."

She froze.

"Hermione could have told you," she whispered, "Tom tells her everything now, he confides in her everything he knows-"

"Not yet he doesn't." Draco filled in, "I saw them once on Christmas Eve and while they were close there is no way that he trusts her enough to give her everything...he needs an insurance policy first."

Draco then proceeded to lift up his sleeve to reveal the dark mark on his left wrist, the snake tongue writhing and slithering in the wake of the tattered material. Severus then too lifted his sleeve to reveal the same thing and Eileen's eyes widened.

"You're Knights?" She whispered as she looked at them, "But how is that possible? He has none but the school under his control...but, does that mean that Hermione...?"

"No," Draco answered quickly, "She was always one of the good guys."

"This is impossible."

She suddenly stood and began pacing around the room, trying desperately hard not to rip out her hair in frustration and confusion. This visit was meant to shed light on the mysterious girl that was Hermione Evans, not shroud her in even more darkness than before. Just when she thought that she was starting to see clearly who she was, where she came from and what she was about everything suddenly and always changed to deliver a new and strange and more dangerous image than the previous. Eileen felt like her grip on reality, her ability to read people, places and things was beginning to fail her and it was a most uncomfortable feeling. It was almost as if she were pilot, flying into the Bermuda triangle, blind, alone and completely defenseless.

Severus watched her pace back and forth with a hard look in his eye that Draco could not read. He just stared at her with an edge that he had never seen before and both waited for her to turn back to them but she didn't. She just continued to pace and mutter to herself as though those two were no longer in the room.

"Should we disturb her?" Draco whispered to Severus, "I mean, would it be wise?"

"How would I know?" Severus spat at him.

"She's your bloody mother!" He snapped back

"Shut up!"

They both turned back to her as she stood there looking at them hard, trying to comprehend everything she had just heard and then she did something that they did not expect....

She released them.

They stared at her confusedly for several moments until she spoke once more.

"You say Tom will become the greatest threat this world has ever faced?" She asked.

They nodded.

"You say he will destroy everything I hold dear?"

They nodded.

"And you say that you two and Hermione are here to stop that from happening?"

They looked at each other.

"Not exactly," Severus told her, "We aren't here to change what has already happened."

"Bad things happen to wizards who meddle with time after all," Draco cut in.

"We are here simply to gather the information we need in order to beat him in 1997," Severus informed her, "We can not change what has already been written."

"And how is Cygnus Black's future written?" She asked.

Severus stared at her, as did Draco. She had received her answer in their silence and she cringed at the thought.

"How is Abraxus Malfoy's future written?"

Draco looked away from her. She took in a deep breath.

"How is _my_ future written?"

Severus did the same. She narrowed her gaze upon them and took in a deep calming breath trying desperately hard to keep her anger at bay.

"I see." She said quietly, her voice steadily getting louder with every word she spoke, "And while we desperately try to repent for our sins, while we wallow in the darkness and try to seek some solution to the horrors we have been presented with you just _sit here_ cowering in your shack, waiting for a girl to finish something that should have had nothing to do with her in the first place? Is that it?"

"Eileen-"

"Don't you _Eileen me_!" She screeched, "You've just told me that my future is just as corrupted, just as sordid, morbid and full of deceit as my past so don't you dare try to patronize me!"

She staggered backwards from the two of them until her back collided with the wall and then buried her head in her hands. Tears leaked from her eyes as she realized that everything she had worked for, every solution she had come up with inside her head was doomed to fail. It didn't matter what she did now, she was going to die and everyone she cared about was going to join her.

"Is it not bad enough that you condemn someone you are capable of saving?" She asked in a whisper before yelling, "Must you also sacrifice the innocent?! You are no better than he is!"

She felt the floor boards creek and knew that one of them was coming towards her. She wanted desperately to pull away from the arms that encircled her and curse them into oblivion but an overwhelming feeling of comfort suddenly took hold. After a small while the tears began to stop and she began to cling to her life boat. He didn't seem to want to let her go either as he whispered in her ear.

"It kills us Eileen," he said to her, "It kills us every time we see you to know what happens and not be able to change it, not be able to stop it. You are the maker of your own destiny and we can not change that. The way you live your life is your choice."

"Obviously the way I die isn't," she muttered.

"No," he agreed, "It isn't. But choose to help us and your death will not be in vane. Neither will that of Cygnus or anyone else whom we deem fit to trust."

She leaned back from his embrace and stared into his black orbs. Something inside them gave her even greater comfort, a sort of knowledge that he would never willingly lead her astray entered her mind and she felt no need to swat him away any longer.

"All we ask is that you be there for her," he told her, "Show her she is not alone, that she has friends around her to pick up what is left of her life and put it back together once this is all over."

"How can I possibly piece together someone else's life when I know mine will do nothing but shatter?" She asked him in a whisper.

"By knowing that saving one other life will save the lives of many," he replied, stroking her hair, "You are ambitious and cunning Eileen but selfishness is something you do not possess. Whether you like it or not."

She looked away from him, knowing that every single word was true and yet confused about how he came to have such knowledge.

"What would be the point in trying to change your future if everything that you loved, that was meant to be in it was taken away?" He whispered to it.

"There's no guarantee-"

"It is a possibility and you know it."

She looked away from him and scowled at the floor. It wasn't fair. Why should she have to suffer for everyone else? Why did she have to sacrifice herself? Why not Druella? Or Amelia? Or hell, even someone like Dumbledore? He was an old coot anyway. Why couldn't he sacrifice himself for the greater good? He was always talking about it after all, always spouting off that you should do what is best by others and blah, blah, blah. So why couldn't he do it?

She suddenly snatched herself out of his arms and stood, looking sullen, bitter and enraged.

"Why should I have to do it?" She spat at him, "Why should I sacrifice myself for them? They've never done anything for me! Nothing!"

"Eileen-"

"No!" She yelled, moving past them and walking into the other room. She moved over to the fireplace and threw in some powder before turning back to see them at the doorway.

"Find yourself another scapegoat!" she yelled before disappearing behind the emerald wall. When she landed on the other side, back in Hermione's old room, she was met with a very disturbing sight. The room was almost completely destroyed with furniture up turned and scattered through out the room, papers torn and books almost ripped in half. Glass from the windows was scattered everywhere and the wall paper on the walls appeared to have been peeled off with someone's finger nails.

And there, in front of the mirror, attempting to pull her hair out, was Hermione.

Eileen instantly walked towards her and tried to pull her hands away from her head but the girl instantly turned the tables and threw her friend into the nearest wall, pinning her there. It was then that Eileen saw she had been crying her eyes out.

"Reverse it!" She commanded in a strangled voice, "You said it was temporary so change it back!"

"Change what?" Eileen asked her meekly.

"MY HAIR!"

She released Eileen in order to go thundering about the room, cursing every object in sight. Eileen just stood there, staring at her, completely shocked at the change in the young woman. She had gone from cool, calm and collected to being stark raving mad!

"Hermione what's the matter?" She whispered.

She seemed to ignore her and continue cursing everything she could. Eileen finally decided to take charge. She disarmed her and when she came charging back over to get her wand back Eileen pointed hers directly at her heart.

"Hermione you aren't in your right frame of mind, I know that," she told her, "But I will not hesitate to curse you if you come any further."

She seemed to take several shallow breaths, several tiny, shaky breaths before her bottom lips trembled and a sob escaped her lips. Fresh tears leaked from her eyes and she fell to her knees amongst the rubble. It was then that Eileen saw it, gleaming on her skin.

"Oh, Hermione," she whispered as she sank with her. She used a shaking hand to reverse the Hair Color Charm and watched as the sophisticated black melted back into her natural soft brown. She then took Hermione into her arms and waited until the girl was coherent enough to tell her what had happened.

"He took me into the forest after Cygnus brought me here," she whispered, "He took me there and..."

"And what?" Eileen asked softly as she patted her hair, "Was anyone else there."

"They were all there," she sobbed, "Mulciber, Goyle, Rosier, Lestrange, Malfoy."

She froze at the sound of the last one but said nothing.

"He told them all to bow to their queen," she cried, "He told them to kneel before their master's choice and then he...he..."

She dissolved once more but she didn't have to say anything else.

The shiny, brand new dark mark on her left wrist spoke for itself.


	26. What Did He Do?

**Hello Lovely Readers!**

**Well, you aren't going to believe this but this is the FINAL CHAPTER for One Timeless Chance! I would like to thank a lot of people for making this possible and spurring me on through this crazy ride but most of all I would like to thank TIADORABLE, my wonderful, fantastic, gorgeous beta who's been there from the very beginning even though she can't stand anything other than Dramione fics! She's been absolutely wonderful and I owe this fic in much part to her. Thanks heaps girl!**

**On a final note I would like to inform you that One Timeless Chance will not be a stand alone fic. IT WILL BE A TRILOGY! I've finally worked out where all the plot work is going and so I've now found that it is possible for this story to continue into two sequels.**

**So thank you once more, all you lovely readers and keep a look out for the next installment "Another Timeless Chance."**

**As always R&R  
**

**~VTM

* * *

**

Chapter Twenty Six: What Did He Do?

Eileen sat with her for hours. She cried, she screamed she tried to attack her and then finally she gave up entirely until she was in a space inside her mind where no one on the outside could reach her. She stared into space and did not react no matter how much Eileen shook her, hit her or even cursed her. Her lip would tremble every now and then and her breathing would hitch but other than that there was no sign at all that she was conscious or even alive.

Eileen became very scared. Here she was, sitting in a bomb site with Tom Riddle's girlfriend in her arms, almost unconscious and completely mental. But aside from the fear, something else stirred inside her.

It was anger.

She had seen so many hurt because of this man, so many fall because of his ambitions, and everyone else's nightmares. And now this lovely young woman who had walked into their lives and stolen her heart was falling because she loved someone who would never love her back. She didn't quite understand what about the mark had turned her mad but she didn't need to. All she knew was that it had happened and she needed to reverse it. For Hermione's sake.

She took a deep breath and stood her up, wrapping one arm behind her back and placing hers over her shoulder.

"Come on Hermione," she whispered, "Let's get you to bed."

She thought better of moving into Tom's room and instead took out her wand. She repaired the broken windows and turned the bed back on its feet. She managed to clear some of the rubble but not all of it and made sure that each pillow had extra feathers inside it. She then took the girl in her arms over to the mattress and laid her there as she removed her shoes, her skirt, her shirt and robes, leaving her only in her underwear. She took care and transfigured one of the draws into a small bowl filled with water and an extra pillow case into a sponge and wiped the dirt from her flesh as well as cleaning some of the wounds she had either inflicted upon herself or had been given to her by the ceremony. Hermione whimpered a few times when she passed over some of the more open wounds but other than that she heard nothing from her. She just stared at the ceiling as though a dementor had sucked her soul straight from her body. She was limp and lifeless, a shell.

"What are you doing here?"

And there was her maker.

Eileen glared down at the floor, finding a rage in her that she had never felt before. Trying to control it was next to impossible. It flared, it danced, it urged her, _ordered_ her to hurt him, to maim him, to make him feel just an ounce of what Hermione was feeling.

"Get out," she whispered.

Tom's eyes found her in the bed and they widened to the point of popping out of his skull. He instantly drew his wand and was about to curse her for even thinking about laying her hands on what was his but for the first time in his life Tom Riddle was beaten to it. A potion soared through the air and once it landed on the floor before him he was thrown from the room, crashing into the coffee table of the lounge and smashing it to pieces.

Eileen quietly finished bathing Hermione and then wrapped her up in the warm covers, placing a kiss on her forehead before moving out of the bedroom and into the lounge where Tom's eyes were glowing a fatal red.

"Leave this room before I kill you," he instructed quietly.

"No," she whispered back.

"What did you do to her, Prince?" He demanded. Eileen let a dark chuckle escape her lips.

"What did _I_ do?" She asked, "What did _you_ do?! You've completely torn her mind to pieces!"

He froze. No. No it couldn't have done this! He had researched it perfectly! Found all the right incantations, done everything that his books had said and she was fine when she had left him! There was no way that he had done this!  
He went to go forward but Eileen stuck her wand in his face.

"You can't take me, Prince," he growled, "You don't have enough power to beat me."

"I don't have to beat you," she hissed, "I just have to incapacitate you long enough to run."

"That would defeat your purpose," he said.

"If you take one _step_ into that room then I will tell everyone what you have been doing the moment you walked into this place!"

He glared at her, attempted to stare her down but it didn't work. She stood strong and breathed heavily, trying to reign in her anger and failing. She tried so hard not to hex him, knowing that he would kill her and she prayed that she would be able to hold it down until he left. She had to be smart but her emotions were overriding her brain.

"You owe me a life debt," he said, "If I hadn't rescued you from that fire you started when you murdered your father's drug dealer then you would have gone up in smoke."

"And I would have been happy to do it," she told him, "I have no gratitude towards you Riddle and I am done letting you blackmail me. I mean it, if you go anywhere near her I will scream your secrets from the top of the Astronomy Tower."

"I would push you off before you uttered a word."

"Then I would come back," she threatened, poking her wand into his chest, "I would come back and haunt this castle and _still_ scream. I would tell Slughorn and Dippet and Dumbledore and even the Minister if he dropped by for a visit. Mark my words Riddle, you will not get away with what you've done."

Tom looked passed her into Hermione's room to see her staring into space, feeling nothing, seeing nothing. She was right, he had done this to her. But he would reverse it and no one was going to stop him. He looked back down at the determined witch with the most powerful glare he possessed and he saw that it made her falter slightly in her resolve.

"You will regret this day, Prince," he hissed at her before sweeping out the door. Eileen watched as the tapestry door closed behind him and then she moved back into Hermione's room. As she gazed at her she realized that the girl hadn't heard a thing of what had happened. Something for which she was grateful.

It was then that she made her decision.

***

Tom moved quickly through out the castle, moving lower and lower, down, down into the dungeons until he reached the Slytherin common room. It was packed with students all excitedly talking about how their holidays had gone and how they couldn't wait to get back to lessons. Tom had no time for this.

"Everyone, GET OUT!" He roared. Students fled left and right until only Tom and a few of his followers were left. Among those was Abraxus.

"All of you but Abraxus, see to it that every single student in this castle and every teacher is occupied and away from my chambers, is that clear?" He ordered. Each and every one of them nodded. He then indicated for Abraxus to follow him. They moved swiftly out of the common room and began moving back upwards again. Once Tom felt that they were a safe enough distance away he turned to Abraxus and shoved him into a wall, his wand instantly at the boy's throat.

"What did you do?" He growled.

"I don't understand, my Lord," he choked, "I-I've done nothing."

"You gave me the wrong text book didn't you?" He hissed, "You wanted her to go insane so that she wasn't placed above you. Jealous like the rest of them..."

"I don't know what you're talking about," he coughed, "I swear I gave you the right one. I swear it."

"THEN WHY DID IT GO WRONG?!"

Abraxus' eyes widened in fear at his words. He had no idea that it had gone wrong, no idea that she was suffering. She had been fine when she had left the ceremony, completely fine. He hadn't tampered with the spell, after all, he had known what the punishment would have been for that. He could still see Cygnus in his mind after all. He could still see what the Dark Lord had done to him for betraying him....  
_  
_  
_"What are you going to tell Tom when he asks what we were doing?" He asked her before she left._  
_  
_  
_"I'm going to tell him that Dolohov and Mulciber were planning on ambushing me the moment I left the hall," she told him, "And that I didn't want to worry him with it. He should eat that up easily enough."_  
_  
_  
_Cygnus nodded._  
_  
_  
_"I can see how well that would go down," he told her, "He'll probably end up killing them you know?"_  
_  
_  
_"Yes," she nodded, "But with them its only a matter of time before they come after me anyway. They aren't too happy with their lord's choice."_  
_  
_  
_He nodded again._  
_  
_  
_"Alright then," he said, stepping towards her and embracing her. She stiffened slightly at first but relaxed into his embrace and leaned her head on his shoulder._  
_  
_  
_"Thank you," he whispered._  
_  
_  
_"No Cygnus," she whispered back, "Thank you."_

_She moved inside the door, clicking it softly to close it and once she was out of sight...that was when he moved. Abraxus and the others grabbed him and gagged him before he could make a sound. His eyes widened in fear as he saw the look in his best friend's eyes. Guilt was written all over his face._

_  
"So she plans to betray me."_

_They all turned to see Tom walk into the corridor with an icy expression on his face, his eyes emotionless and untelling but for the red glow in the irises. Cygnus had really bitten off more than he could chew this time._

_"I must admit that I had seen this coming," Tom whispered, "I knew it was too good to be true. There is no way that a witch that powerful could ever see it my way willingly. But you Cygnus," Cygnus fought his binders at the sound of his name, "I'm surprised at you. After everything that I have done, this is how you repay my good will?"_

_Cygnus glared at him and wanted to reply but the one who had the cloth over his mouth wouldn't relieve the pressure. He simply settled fighting and glaring until Tom smirked._

_"I do believe he wishes to say something," he said innocently, "Let him speak. There are too many wards around this passage way for anyone to hear."_

_His jaw was released and the cloth was removed and Cygnus finally let loose on what he had been holding back for the last three years._

_"You are a cold hearted bastard and I hope like hell that she succeeds in killing you!" He yelled. If he was going to die then he may as well deserve it. He was a Black, he didn't hide in the face of death and he would be damned if he let Riddle see him weaken in the presence of it. Tom kept his features smooth and emotionless as he spoke._

_"You do, do you?" He asked. Cygnus just sat there and glared. Abraxus closed his eyes in fear for his friend. He knew what was going to happen now and there was nothing he could do to stop it. He couldn't risk talking to Tom for fear of his own life and there was no way that he would listen anyway. Cygnus had made his bed and now he had to lie in it._

_Tom strode forward and Cygnus struggled against his captors once more. He knew that whatever was going to happen next was going to hurt. He fought and he fought but they were all just too strong and once Tom stood before him he knew it was over. But he didn't take out his wand. Instead, much to his surprise, the boy took out a knife. He plunged it into Cygnus' left arm and he screamed his lungs out as Tom carved his flesh with a maniacal glint in his glowing red eyes. He sneered down at him and stabbed at it some more and continued to do so even as the boy screamed. When he was done, he was left with a patch of skin in his hand...Cygnus' dark mark, bloodied and gleaming in the dusty light._

_"You are not worthy of this anymore," Tom told him before walking away, "You may do what you wish with him. Just leave him alive. He must live the rest of his life knowing that he will suffer for betraying me..."_

Cygnus now lay in the hospital wing, every single bone in his body broken, bruised, bloodied, dislocated and unconscious. He had been tortured many times over, sliced open so much that he almost bled out and knocked in the head so much that they had to revive him several times. Abraxus had done what he perceived to be the decent thing and not taken part. He had just sat back and watched as his best friend received the beating of his life.

But now as he had Tom's wand at his throat, he almost wished he had stopped it.

"I don't know why it went wrong," he told him, "I swear master, I have no idea. Please let me help-"

"You are just as pathetic as Black," he sneered as he threw him to the floor, "You will not help me. You will go up to my rooms and get Eileen out. I don't care what you have to do, kill her if you wish. Just make sure she is gone by the time I get there and make sure she does not return!"

Tom swept away once more leaving Abraxus puzzled and gasping for air on the dungeon floor.

***

_Dear Draco and Leopold_

_Come as quickly as you can. She isn't in good shape and I don't know how long I can hold Riddle off. I don't care where you come from and I don't care what you're doing here just get her out of this castle before he does anything more to her._

_Sincerely_

_Eileen._

She finished the note quickly and then threw it into the fireplace with some floo powder. She could only hope that they hadn't gone out shopping or anything and would arrive soon. She would deal with Riddle for them. All she needed to know was that Hermione was physically safe from harm. After this, she wouldn't trust Riddle's judgment as far as she could throw it, no matter how much he thought he cared. She would not allow him anywhere near her best friend.

There was suddenly a knock at the door. She turned her head quickly to see Abraxus standing there looking winded, as though he would collapse at any moment. But she knew him. She knew why he was here.

"Get out," she said harshly.

"Eileen-"

"No, get out!" She ordered, pointing back out the door.

He didn't get out. He moved further in and Eileen felt she had no choice other than to draw her wand. He looked hurt at first but then he smiled.

"You haven't drawn a wand on my since fifth year," he said to her. She softened slightly at the memory.

"You tried to look up my skirt during dinner," she told him, "What was I supposed to do? Laugh?"

He did laugh. A light, carefree chuckle. Something she hadn't heard from him in a very long time. It unnerved her. He was wearing a smile but it didn't quite reach his eyes, forced and yet he could laugh so effortlessly. He was acting. If she hadn't known him for so long, she would never have known but she had known him and known him well. She didn't take the scowl off her face as he expected her to and he stopped pretending. The smile dropped from his face and a look of pure honesty coated his features.

"Eileen, he'll kill you," he whispered.

"I don't care," she said back, determined, "He can do what he likes to me but he is not getting his hands on her and neither are you."

"He can fix it," he told her and she rolled her eyes as she went back to Hermione's side and he followed, "He can reverse the effect that he created-"

"What did he do?" She had her wand out once more as she glared at him. He stayed silent. She stood and glared at him once more with all her might, jabbing her wand into his chest.

"What. Did. He. Do?"

It was seeing the fire in her eyes that made him do it, the passion there that he couldn't deny. It was disappointing her that hurt most, losing her love for what he had done. He hated seeing her angry, especially at him.

"It wasn't meant to hurt her," he whispered and she scoffed at him, "Tom had discovered she and Cygnus were up to-"

Eileen paled at the mention of his name and raised her wand higher. She took in shallow, ragged breaths and her eyes widened with fear.

"What did you do to _him_?" she whispered as tears welled in her eyes. She knew the answer but she had to hear it from him first. She had to see whether he would lie to her or not.

"_I_ didn't do anything to him," he tried to say but she wouldn't let him off that easy.

"Then what did _he_ do?!" She screamed. Abraxus stood there pale and almost shaking at her wrath and pain. He took a deep breath and kept a cool mask on his face as he told her.

"He's in the hospital wing," he said quietly as a strangled sob escaped her lips and she collapsed onto the bed with Hermione, "All his bones are broken, his joints are dislocated and he's bleeding both on the outside and the inside."

Another sob escaped her lips as tears poured down her face.

"Madam Gertrude says he probably won't make the night," he told her, "But if he does, then he will be released from the Dark Lord's service."

She stopped sobbing for a few moments and processed what he said before turning back to face him in what he thought was astonishment. He expected her to jump for joy at the news that her friend had been set free. Instead she looked at him like he was a bug on the bottom of her shoe. She took in a deep and shaky breath, her lips trembling.

"And you think I should be grateful for that?" She whispered. She picked up the lamp next to the bed and threw it at him.

"You think I should thank you for beating him!" She screamed, "For torturing him! For almost _killing_ him!"

She picked up another object and threw it when the lamp missed and continued to do so, backing him up and out of the room.

"You unimaginable bastard!" She screamed, "I hate you!"

At that he let out a roar of his own and tackled her to the ground. She punched him and kicked him and tried to get him off of her but he was too strong. She kept screaming "I hate you!" at him over and over and over again and each scream pierced his heart to the very core. As she screamed he felt his own pain and hurt begin to slip out of his control and it started to show on his face. His jaw trembled, his breathing became ragged and his grip tightened on her arms.

"I'm so sorry Eileen," he whispered, kissing her for what he knew would be the very last time before he managed to get to his wand without letting her go and stunning her senseless. When she stopped moving he took in a deep breath to calm his guilt and suffering and closed his eyes. He couldn't bear to look at what he had done. He didn't want to look at her motionless form and unforgiving eyes. It was just too much.

He picked her up in his arms, still refusing to look at her and walked out of the chambers and made the short walk to the hospital wing where Madam Gertrude was still busy at work trying to save Cygnus' life. Her eyes widened at the thought of another attack and when she told him that he got to her before her "assailants" could do any damage she breathed a sigh of relief and told him to leave her there and that she would deal to her later. Abraxus did not miss the cold look that Cygnus gave him from underneath his bandages and bruises before he slipped back into unconsciousness.

***

He blasted the door to the restricted section open, knowing full well that with his wards up that no one would be able to hear or disturb him. He marched inside, determined to find the answers he sought and glared at every single book on the shelf. It was in the glass of one of the cabinets that he happened to catch a glance at his reflection.

Much was the same. But his eyes were glowing a red that he hadn't seen before. He stopped for only a few moments to examine it, touching his cheek and staring at his reflection before he remembered his objective and decided to figure it out later.

He had to find out what he had done and how to reverse it quickly. No way would any queen of his be a vegetable. He ran his fingers along the spines of ancient books that were all too familiar with him...

_Dark Magic and its uses_

_The Arts and Dark Arts_

_Horcruxes and How to Make them_

_Magic of Darkness: A full encyclopedia of dark wizardry_

None of them had what he wanted. None of them could help him reverse the effect. All he had wanted was complete control. Was that so much to ask?...

_He stared at her by the door way with an emotionless mask as she sat at the mirror and brushed her long black hair. He really did prefer that she kept it that way. It showed who she really was on the inside. If only she would realize it for herself._

_But it had taken her too long. Now that she had betrayed him he couldn't give her anymore time and he was not about to risk his future, his plans, his empire, just so that she could discover who she really was. It was too late for that now._

_He walked forward slowly, continuing to watch her as she moved the brush over her ebony curls. She really was a beautiful creature. It had taken him so long to notice it but now that he had...He was not going to let her go. It didn't matter that she had betrayed him, it didn't matter that she couldn't see the truth about herself. He would show it to her in time but for now she needed to be controlled, tamed._

_And he had many ways to do that._

_"Allow me?" He said as he finally stood behind her. She jumped slightly and then laughed when she realized it was him. She looked at him through the mirror and smiled, handing the brush over to him and letting him run it down her locks. He took great care, running his fingers through it after the brush as he spoke._

_"What did Cygnus want?" He asked her quietly. He unconsciously felt around inside his pocket where the boy's mark still lay._

_"He simply wished to warn me that Dolohov and Mulciber were planning to ambush me after I left dinner," she told him, "That's why he escorted me out early."_

_"I see," he replied softly, "I must reward him for protecting his Lady."_

_She smiled at him again but it didn't quite reach her eyes. He continued to brush and eye her expression. She seemed relaxed enough but he knew that she was lying through her teeth. He had always been able to tell when she was lying, even when she wasn't intentionally lying, even when she wasn't lying to him. He was just so attuned to her, to her body language, to the pitches of her voice. He knew her inside and out now. And it was time to show it._

_"Of course," he continued as he brushed again and again, "I will have to punish him first."_

_He saw the slightest of flinches escape her. That was all he needed._

_"Why is that?" She asked smoothly._

_He gave a feral growl and threw the brush away before clenching his hands into her shoulders and bringing his lips right by her ear._

_"I know what you planned to do Hermione," he whispered as she let out a cry for the pain she was feeling as he dug his nails in._

_"I didn't-" She ground out but he lost his temper and threw her from the chair to the bed that they shared._

_"Don't lie to me!" He demanded as she looked back at him, feeling hurt emotionally at the expression on his face._

_He walked over to her and forcefully pulled her up by her left wrist, taking his wand out as he went. Her eyes widened and she began to fight him. She tried to yank herself from his grip but when that merely annoyed him she went for a different tactic. She stuck her foot to his shin and when he let go she instantly ran for it. She bolted for the door but he shot her down with a well aimed Incarcerous. He got up from the floor, breathing heavily and glaring. His eyes were a murderous shade of red that she had come to associate with Voldemort senior and not his junior, easier to deal with, other half._

_"You betrayed me," he said to her._

_"No," she shook her head._

_"You've _ been_ betraying me from the very beginning," he continued._

_"No," she said louder, "Tom I swear-"_

_"Your word means nothing!" He yelled, finally his cool masks and façades finally falling to waste at his feet as his anger finally came forward. He picked her up and struck her hard across the cheek._

_"You will learn to respect my authority and obey my every command in time," he whispered to her, his lips so close to hers, "And you will regret ever crossing my path. Because now that I know who and what you really are...I am never letting you go."_

_With that he lifted her wrist once more and stared her hard in the eyes as he pointed his wand at it._

_"Imperius Morsmordre!" He whispered._

_And she screamed. Tears leaked from her eyes for the first time since he had known her and she no longer fought. She gave up and in defeat she was more beautiful to him than she had ever been. The skull and serpent tattoo laced itself onto her skin, black as night and once it was done he finally released her and the spell and let her fall to the floor before his feet. He then pointed his wand to her head and planted a false memory of the forest and a ceremony in which she willingly took his mark as his followers watched._

_He watched as she sat there, still, almost lifeless until he spoke._

_"Hermione?" He asked. She turned her face up to him, an expressionless mask to mirror his own._

_"Yes master?" She asked and he smiled. This was much better..._

And it was. She had been obedient, yielding and not at all rebellious. She had carried out his every request for at least half an hour before he had to leave to check that Cygnus wasn't dead. She had been exactly the same when he had left and it was only when he returned that he knew something was wrong. The only question was how Eileen had gotten into the room in the first place and interfered with the charm. It was obvious that she was responsible for this! No one else would bother to try and free her from his hold unless they were complete idiots or suicidal and Eileen Prince was neither of those. She genuinely cared for the witch and Hermione cared for her. He had sensed it in her many times.

Perhaps it had been Tom's mistake, getting the girl to spy on her for him? He should have known that she would grow attached. Her weakness was obviously more pronounced than the regular witch though. Otherwise, why would she go to such lengths to defend her?

None of it made sense. At least not now. And so he kept searching until he found his answers....

***

Draco and Severus walked in the door to Spinner's end with groceries lining their arms. It had been a rather surreal experience shopping in the 1940's. Everything appeared different and there were chimney sweeps looking for work and shoe shiners all over the street trying to earn some cash. Draco had been gracious and let a small boy shine his shoes and gave him twice the amount of what the shining was actually worth. Severus dropped his bags on the kitchen table and then turned to his younger companion.

"You put these away and I'll set up for dinner," he told him. Draco groaned.

"Why do I always have to put the stuff away?" He moaned, "Can't you swap just this once?"

"Because I can hex your school boy bottom from here to China faster than you say Quidditch if you don't do as I ask," Severus said simply, "And this is my house after all."

Draco grumbled something about lazy old bats and began to pack everything away in the cupboards. Severus smirked before walking away into the dining room. It was frightfully chilly in there and so he went to the living room in order to retrieve an extra set of robes. It was then that he noticed the note that lay on the floor by the fireplace...

***

_Breathe, breathe, breathe. Don't stop breathing. Don't let him win._

It was all she could do to stop herself from falling into the oblivion that Tom's spell had created for her. Chant over and over again, remind herself that there was something waiting for her other than the seven flies and forty-two cracks on the ceiling. She couldn't move, she couldn't speak, all she could do was lie there and chant to herself over and over again and try to fight off the hell that he had created.

_Breathe, breathe, breathe._

She was desperately clawing onto her sanity, trying so hard not to fall into the darkness. She had no idea what kind of spell he had put on the mark on her arm but obviously it was meant to work the moment it touched her skin because she had been fighting it ever since. And it was obvious that it wasn't meant to be fought. That was what had landed her here. When she tried to resist it turned on her, throwing memories and emotions at her to try and get her to submit until she completely lost it and trashed her room, broke the windows and tore the wallpaper off the walls with her own bare hands. She was left calloused, bruised, bleeding and exhausted by the time she collapsed into Eileen's arms and so her body gave up fighting but her mind and magic carried on.

She didn't pay attention to what happened around her after that. It was too much of an effort to try and concentrate on staying sane as well as worry about what was going on around her. She simply focused on staying alive and staying in the right frame of mind to live.

_Breathe, breathe, breathe._

What she didn't get was how he had found out. She and Cygnus had been so careful, so precise in hiding it and she was damn sure that he wasn't the one who spilled the beans. Perhaps he had just read it straight out of her mind like he had so many other things? She wasn't exactly the most skilled Occlumens, something she would have to change, and he had proven time and time again to know things that he obviously shouldn't. It made sense. It was logical. It was the only theory she had.

And it really pissed her off.

She had worked so hard to keep everything from him, so hard to bring him down and in a matter of minutes she had been found out and incapacitated. Was all her work for nothing? Was she really going to go through the rest of her life as a vegetable because he couldn't handle the fact that he may have an effective resistance on his hands? It just wasn't fair!

Wait. No...she couldn't have. There was no way that she just moved. She had ever so slightly flexed her left wrist. The thought itself seemed so impossible to her. So little had happened and so much time had passed that she thought she would never get out of this.

Argh! She could curse the living daylights out of him for doing this to her! How dare he take away her free will! He had no right no matter how badly she betrayed him. But that was his whole M.O, wasn't it? Doing things that he had no right to do.

It happened again. Though this time it was stronger. She really felt it when her wrist flicked outwards. But what was causing it? Could the spell have been wearing off? No, Riddle was fat to smart to create a spell that would wear off in a matter of hours. Whenever he did anything he always made sure it was researched properly and carried out with care. Pfft, fat lot of good it did him this time.

There! It happened again, this time with her fingers flexing and loosening in the tendons. Perhaps there was still hope for her yet. She figured it must have been her anger that triggered it, a sudden surge of magic that gave her limited control. She instantly started running with that thought, concentrating on what she would like to do to Riddle when she got out of this, on the unfairness of the situation, her annoyance with Draco and Severus for letting her fight this on her own for so long. Every ounce of anger, hatred and frustration surged through her body and after what seemed like hours she groaned. Actually, groaned. Not the mental grunts and groans she had been using to keep herself sane but an actual sound escaping her lips. She felt the feeling of her body return to her, her fingers prickle, her legs tingle and her insides twist.

Oh, that one wasn't good.

She instantly shoved herself over the side of the bed and heaved her guts out, the contents of her stomach landing all over the rubble on the floor. She leaned back and collapsed back onto the bed, closing her eyes and feeling moisture coat them once more to prevent the cracking of her irises. Once she felt relatively physically comfortable she slowly removed herself from the bed and wrapped a sheet around herself so she didn't feel so exposed as she searched for her wand, knotting the material at her bust to create a dress of sorts. She knew it was there somewhere, perhaps under some overturned stone or hiding under the rug? Or maybe....yes, it was inside the pocket of her robes. Once she had it she moved very slowly over to the bathroom, breathing heavily as she went. Her body still hadn't adjusted to having her control it once more and so this was going to be one very difficult recovery.

Once there she looked herself over in the mirror. Eileen had done a good job of cleaning her up and making sure that she was taken care of. All the scratches that she remembered giving herself were either completely healed or already on the mend. She had no dirt lining her skin like she remembered and once she looked down at her scantily clad body she realized that Eileen must have given her a bath too. The last place she looked was the top of her head. Her hair was back to its usual golden brown, curly state, something she was overjoyed about. She felt like _her _again.

She ducked behind the hand basin at the sound of a door opening, trying desperately hard to avoid the dizzy spell that threatened to take over. Whoever had entered the room walked slowly towards her bedroom, almost as though they were dreading what they might see there. When the footsteps stopped she knew that they were staring at an empty bed. They then began running through the chambers, searching each room and coming up with nothing. With each room came quicker footsteps and a more panicked rhythm. She curled herself even further behind the basin when she heard them run to the bathroom and slam the door open.

"No," he whispered, "No, no, NO!"

Abraxus was clearly not a happy boy. She heard him run out of the chambers entirely and she knew it wouldn't be long before he went to go and get Tom to try and find her. She stood as quickly as she could and moved back into her bedroom. The moment she entered the room, emerald green flames erupted out of the fireplace and she held her wand high, ready for anything that would come her way. What she wasn't ready for was a fierce looking Severus and a determined Draco running out, ready for battle. She dropped her wand at the sight of them when they emerged, her eyes wide with astonishment. It took them a few moments to realize that she was awake and well but when they did the effect was instant.

Their expressions changed from battle ready to battle weary as they gazed at her with both confusion and relief. They both pocketed their wands and ran over to her, Draco engulfing her in his arms so tightly that the pressure prevented her from breathing. But she didn't care. She squeezed him back just as tightly and didn't want to let go.

"I'm so sorry Granger," he whispered, "I'm so sorry. I should never have doubted you, I shouldn't have-"

"Shut up Malfoy before I decide you're going soft on me," she sobbed and laughed at the same time. Draco managed a weak chuckle. After what seemed like an eternity she let him go and turned to Severus, giving him much the same treatment as Draco, squeezing the hell out of him to. No words needed to be exchanged there. They both knew what the other was thinking.

"What happened?" Draco finally asked her as she let go of Severus and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"My cover was blown," she told them and their eyes widened, "Somehow he found out that Cygnus and I were planning to betray him. He got to Cygnus and then after that...he came after me."

"What did he do?" Severus asked as he instantly went into survival mode and began checking her over for injuries. Hermione instantly pulled away from him and turned her back on the two of them, hiding her arm from them. They both looked at each other and then looked back at her.

"Hermione," Draco said tenderly, "You can tell us. We know you're loyal to the Order-"

"It's not that," she whispered before turning back to them, "I'm just ashamed that I let him do it."

She then revealed her left arm to them and as Draco gasped Severus closed his eyes, a pained expression on his face. He didn't want to look at it. The fact that he had one of his own was hard enough to deal with but now the fact that this innocent, beautiful young woman was marred by it's presence too he could barely stand to face the skull and serpent before him.

"He did something to it," she told them quietly, "He tried to control me with it but when I fought it I sort of...went mad."

"Where's Eileen?" He asked her quietly, "She came back through this fireplace, where is she?"

"I don't know," she shook her head, "She found me when I was going mental and she managed to calm me down until I went into a Cataplectic state and was unable to move. After that I concentrated on staying alive and forgot about what was going on around me."

"Well obviously she isn't dead," Draco told them. They both looked at him in confusion.

"How do you figure that one?" Hermione asked him.

"Well if she was either Severus wouldn't be here or something massive would have happened," he told them, "It just wouldn't make sense if she was dead."

Well, that much was true at least. If she really thought about it the way Draco did then there was no chance at all that Eileen was dead. But something else was now bugging her, something that she needed answers on quickly if they were to move forward.

"So what do we do now?" She asked softly as she stared at them both, "Where do we go from here?"

Draco looked at Severus and he nodded, for once being in agreement with the blond.

"We go home," he told her, "There is no way that you can continue this mission now, not now that he knows that you're working against him."

She wanted desperately to protest but she knew he was right. Riddle knew what she was up to, at least enough to tell him that having her around and in control of her own thoughts was a bad thing for him. If she stayed, it would be suicide.

"No, what you do now," a cold voice said from the doorway, "Is drop your wands to the floor and kick them away before I blast you all into next century."

She was afraid to turn. She was afraid to even move. She knew who that voice belonged to and yet she did nothing but wish and hope and pray that it was someone else, anyone else. Unwillingly, she turned to face him, as did the others and she took a deep calming breath to stop her from doing anything irrational or stupid. And to stop her from passing out with fear. He wore the iciest expression she had ever seen in her life, his eyes fixed on the three of them with his wand trained on her heart. Abraxus did nothing but stand next to him, looking guilty as ever as he stared at her. She could almost see his heart wrench in pain.

"Your wands," he demanded, "I will not ask again."

The two men threw their wands to the floor without a second glance and kicked them in opposite directions, each wearing a glare fit for Harry Potter.

"Right," Tom said pleasantly, even though his expression stayed the same, "Shall we have a little question and answer session? I think I could do with some information."

No one else spoke as he whipped his wand in the air and five chairs appeared, one behind each person in the room. He sat down gracefully in his seat where as Abraxus simply collapsed into his seat. Hermione remained standing and stopped the other two from sitting by clinging onto the back of their robes where Riddle couldn't see where her hands were. At first neither knew why she did so but when she started to feel around their backs they instantly relaxed and began to play her game. Riddle glared at her.

"Come now dearest," he said in a somewhat polite tone, "You can't stand forever. Not in your current state."

"I don't plan to be standing forever," she glared at him, "Just long enough to kill you."

"Oh really?" He asked quietly, "I do believe you've been trying to do that since you arrived here and it seems that you've failed thus far."

"How do you know that this wasn't the grand plan all along?" She challenged.

"Because there have been too many mistakes my dear," he told her, "Too many tiny clues as to what you've been up to. The lies you told me, the slip up of names, the false information, the secrecy. I always knew you were up to something but it wasn't until you allowed Cygnus to guide you away from the hall for no reason that I knew you were out to kill me. The only question I really wish to ask you now is...why?"

She stared at him.

"You want to know why?" She asked.

"I could have given you everything," he whispered, "I could have given you the world and all you were interested in was taking me for granted, learning my secrets and then murdering me once you had all your need."

She could have almost laughed at the way his thoughts were headed. Here was Hogwarts' most cunning, brightest wizard...and he thought that she was out to steal his glory. He thought that she wanted to take his place as the resident bad ass control freak with a thing for double chocolate swirl ice cream and a nasty attitude problem. She could have laughed at the absurdity of it but the situation was too dire to find the humor. She simply settled, instead, for playing along.

"Well you see that was the plan all along wasn't it?" She told him, "I knew from the moment I crawled in those doors that you knew a few things I didn't so why not find them out and then get rid of the competition? It was all just too easy."

Tom smirked.

"Until you started sleeping with me," he told her, "Then things got just a little bit out of hand, didn't they? Once you had a taste of what the world could be like with me you just couldn't let it go long enough to kill me."

She flinched at his words. Unfortunately he had hit the nail right on the coffin. She had had a taste of what the world would be like by his side, the things she could accomplish, the life she would have and yes, she had liked it long enough to question herself and her motives. She had been battling it for such a long time that she eventually blocked it out but even she couldn't deny that she had changed.

"We could still have it," he said to her, "We could still have everything that I told you about. The world would be ours if you would just work with me-"

"No," she whispered, "You see that's where our problem lies Tom. You don't want me to work with you, you want me to work _for _you and that's not something that I'm comfortable with."

She finally found what she was looking for on Severus' right hip and clutched at it. She also found something else of interest on Draco's back that she thought could be useful and held onto that as well. She continued to glare at Riddle until he finally came up with a solution to her statement.

"I could help you adjust," he told her softly, "I've found an alternative to the spell. I could get you to adjust to it and then you would be fine-"

"Forgive me but this was an experience that I'm in no way willing to repeat," she glared.

Finally his mask slipped and he glared at her openly for the first time.

"Very well," he said as he raised his wand. This was it. She squeezed the object on Severus' hip and tried to set it into motion while she removed the object from Draco's back.

"There's nothing more to say then," she said to him calmly.

"Nothing at all," he replied. Severus' hip made a small clicking sound and she knew it wouldn't be long. She clutched to the handle of the object in her other hand tightly and waited for Riddle to make a move.

"Goodbye Miss Evans," he whispered, "AVADA KEDAVRA!"

All three of them jumped out of the way, Severus and Draco diving for their wands as Hermione grabbed hers before leaping behind the bed and returning fire. Abraxus and the other men quickly joined the fight too and wands were all soon blazing with jets of blue and yellow and green light. Hermione had to move several times as the killing curse narrowly missed her as it shot straight through the bed.

"Severus!" She yelled over the ferocious wand-fire, "How long?"

He looked down at his hip briefly as another jet of green light flew over his head before swiftly ducking behind the summoned chair and using it as a shield.

"Thirty seconds!" He yelled back, "Be ready for it Draco!"

Draco nodded as he shot another spell back at Riddle and narrowly missed. Abraxus shot another at Severus and he was hit squarely in the chest by Hermione's stunner. It was just the four of them after that, lights ablazing, adrenaline running through their veins. When Severus shot her a frantic glance, Hermione knew that her time in this era was almost over. Her world seemed to slow down around her almost to a guided stop. Spells no longer soared but glided past her vision and debris appeared to float rather than shoot in all directions. She saw Severus running to get to Draco and knew that it was time to move. She stood from behind the couch and began to run towards Draco as well. It was the slowest sprint of her young life. As she finally reached them the brightest students that Hogwarts had ever seen launched their final attacks.

Hermione launched the dagger she had detached from Draco's back straight at Riddle.

Riddle launched the only weapon he had left.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

**To be continued...**


End file.
